How Not to Fix the Yankees

As is the norm on our little baseball site, our goal is to shift from the standard deviation of thinking. Every blogger, writer, announcer, fan, guru, and anchorman is voicing their opinion on how to fix the Yankees. Things that need to be changed, people that need to go into the rotation, people that need to be removed from the rotation, etc...

We're working on ways to "Not to Fix the Yankees". Here's what we'd do.

Sign Mike Mussina to a Multi-Year Deal. The Moose has been lights out this season, so it's safe to assume that he'll be dominant for another three to five years. We should ink him now, before there's a fierce bidding war in the offseason. I'd give him 4 years at $11 million per.

Move Giambi Up in the Order. There is no reason that a guy hitting .188 with seven home runs should be wasted in the four hole. Move Giambi into the three, no let him bat leadoff. His low stolen base total (1) is a great way to deceive teams into thinking Giambi isn't the next Rickey Henderson.

Move Joba into Center Field. Why waste all that built up energy for just an inning late in the ball game? You want to spark some life into the lineup? Put Joba in center. Melky could use a day off.

Trade Jeter. This team is going nowhere right now. Now's a good time to start selling the team off for parts. It worked for Billy Beane, right?

Acquire the Best Left Handed Pitcher on the Market. David Wells wants to pitch in pinstripes again? We say "We've got the contract, but we'll only sign you if you put on another 40 pounds". We can't have some skinny guy moping around the dugout.

Designate the Backup Catcher for Assignment. Who needs Moeller when you've got Joe Girardi on the bench? He's the manager, its not like he'd be doing anything different behind the plate!

That's phase one of our twelve part plan. I'll be sitting be the phone, waiting for Hank to call.

Sorting Out the Closer Mess

This week has been fairly unkind to a handful of closers around the league. Multiple meltdowns, closers questioning whether or not they can mentally perform their jobs, blown saves wrecking havoc on your fantasy stats. Lets take a minute to sort through the muck.

Jason Isringhausen had a meltdown, crying to reporters that he couldn't and shouldn't do his job anymore. Here's a snippet from an AP News Story, as seen on ESPN.com:

After blowing his fifth save Friday night -- tying Milwaukee's Eric Gagne for most in the major leagues -- in a 4-3 loss to the Brewers, the Cardinals' embattled reliever will no longer close games, manager Tony La Russa said Saturday.

"He's still prepared to pitch important innings, but for a while we'll try to keep him out of the ninth inning," La Russa said. "There's still going to be games where you can't cherry-pick his situations because if we're playing well, you need your bullpen."

That move makes perfect sense, keeping your closer out of the ninth inning. I think I read somewhere that MLB is considering awarding closers save situations if they come in during the fourth inning, with their team leading by five or more runs.

A little ways north, the Brew Crew are seeing similar results from their 10 million dollar man Eric Gagne. Here's a blurb from another AP News story run on ESPN.com:
The Brewers yanked Eric Gagne from the closer's role on Sunday after the reliever called his latest performance embarrassing and said he didn't feel he deserved to pitch the ninth anymore.

Manager Ned Yost said he read Gagne's comments and will use a closer by committee approach while Gagne takes what Yost called a "mental break."

"He's really pushing himself really, really hard and taking it really, really hard," Yost said. "We'll probably just mix and match, I'm not going to do anything crazy."

So what are the proud Fantasy League Owners of Gagne and Izzy to do? Let's take a quick peak at some options:

Guillermo Mota (Brewers): Stay as far away from this guy as you can. If you thought Gagne/Izzy's statements were falling short on confidence, take a look at what Mota had to say about his potential closer assignment:

Yost said anyone in his bullpen may be called on to close, and that he might take it batter-by-batter depending on matchup. Guillermo Mota has pitched well in the eighth inning, going 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 14 appearances, but asked what he did wrong when reporters approached him before the game Sunday. He said he's not planning to become the closer.

"I don't expect that, but if there's a chance, if they put me there, then I'll try to do the best I can," said Mota, who has seven career saves. "I'm used to setting up. That's my role for many years. I'm comfortable there, but I used to be in the ninth, too."

Ryan Franklin (Cardinals): Franklin is a better option to replace Izzy than Mota is to replace Gagne. Franklin is 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA so far (in 19 appearances).

Other Options Around the League:

Santiago Casilla (Oakland): We've said it before, get Casilla on your team. He's currently sporting a devastating pitching line; 2-0, 22 K, 0.47 ERA, and a 0.87 WHIP. Rotowire had this to say about the rookie flame thrower:

Casilla has delivered 17.1 scoreless innings on the season, so it is time to take notice. Huston Street had pitched two days in a row and blew a save opportunity Monday. It doesn't look like Casilla will threaten to take Street's job, but he could be a good insurance policy to Street and he should be the man if Street should be traded later this season.

Injury Bug Got You Down?

Injury bug got you down? That overpriced outfielder (Soriano) not holding up his end of the bargain? That late draft pickup (Foulke) land back on the DL? Hate seeing the dreaded DTD letters next to your starters name? Hate having to try to play Carnac, wildly guessing whether to sit, bench, or drop a guy?

Here's a quick list of guys you can pick up to keep your fantasy team's head above water until the early season bumps, bruises, pulls, aches, and pains fade away:

1. Santiago Casilla, RP (Oakland). With Keith Foulke spending some time on the DL, the A's found a stop-gap solution to bridge to their closer. Casilla's numbers (to date) are the following:

13 IP, 18 Ks, 0.00 ERA, 7 Holds, and a WHIP of 0.83.

And here's the kicker, only 10% of all ESPN Fantasy Leagues own him. So he's probably yours for the taking.

2. Yunieski Bentancourt, SS (Seatle). Owned by only 8% of all ESPN Fantasy Leagues, is batting .298 with only one home run. He also has zero steals, which should be his strong suit. Yuni is hovering around the .300 mark, and once he gets going, he'll steal his fare share of bases. Might be a good fill in for those Jimmy Rollins owners looking for a quick plug.

3. Chad Gaudin, SP (Oakland). Flying under the radar at a low 21% ownership rate, Gaudin's numbers are gaudy. He's only given up two runs in the last twenty innings pitched, has an overall WHIP of 1.10, and has won his last three starts. Coupled with the fact that he's pitching roughly half his starts in a pitcher cozy ballpark, Gaudin is a steal right now.


4. Jeff Mathis, C (LAA) For all you Jorge Posada Fantasy Owners looking for a replacement, stay away from Jose Molina. Sure he'll get at bats, but not quality at bats like you'd be getting from Jeff Mathis. Before sitting out a few games due to the flu, Mathis was batting .325 with three home runs, ten runs scored, and even has a stolen base. Add a low ownership rating of 1.9%, and you've got a pretty decent option to fill in for (not replace) Posada.

Return to Sender

ESPN's Fantasy Department recently ran an article explaining how and why washup and never drafted Aubrey Huff will outperform a rising star and over paid for Evan Longoria. While the evidence is there, we don't totally agree with Huff outperforming Longoria, but we do have our own list of overbid and underpaid:

Nick Swisher vs. Andre Ethier

Swisher has been slow to perform this season (fantasy wise) batting a sub par .268. Not the greatest batting average for a lead off hitter. He's been extremely streaky (2-12 in one stretch followed by a 4-10 current stretch) and his power isn't there just yet. Sure he's scored a bunch of runs (11) because he's hitting in the lead off spot, but lets be honest, I didn't draft Swisher because he scores a lot. Note; he is still Selective Swisher, walking 12 times so far this season.
Here's a fun stat: Percentage of Fantasy Leagues With a Team That Owns Nick Swisher: 100%

Andre Ethier, on the other hand, is only owned in 80% of the same leagues (ESPN Fantasy) and is outperforming Swisher; .308 BA, 2 HR, 11 RBI, and has a stolen base.

Are we saying that Ethier is a better player than Swisher? No, not really. We're just pointing out the oddity of dissimilar players putting up similar numbers and being drafted on opposite ends of the board.

Frustrating is the life of a fantasy league team owner. He carefully selects a player he hopes will bat third or fourth in a semi-potent White Sox lineup, only to find out Swisher will be batting leadoff, and some other owner gets lucky by drafting a fourth string outfielder who supplants Juan Pierre in the Dodger batting order.

Prince Fielder: Fantasy Nightmare?

Here's a season line that would make you jumpy if you held a good draft slot in your fantasy league draft:

50 HRs, 119 RBIs, .288 BA, 35 Doubles, 109 Runs Scored, 90 walks, .618 Slugging %, and...oh what the heck, 2 Stolen Bases.

Fielder has hit 78 home runs in his first two full big league seasons. He's hitting in the heart of a potentially dangerous Brewers lineup and faces National League Central Rotations who are more likely to be confused for their Stadium's grounds crew than they are for a major league pitching staff. So why are we concerned about Fielder this season?

Earlier in the year, Fielder announced that his diet changes included switching to an all vegan diet. This will likely increase his flexibility and give his knees a break from holding up that tummy of his. Next time you see a vegan, however, take a good look at them and figure out whether they can hit a baseball 500 feet, and repeat that action fifty times, for that matter.

We're really concerned with Fielder's latest newswire activity. No, not the flu, which has kept him out of his remaining Spring Training. Fielder's issues stem from a bigger disease; egomania.

Take a look at this statement from Fielder, courtesy of Rotowire;

Fielder expressed displeasure with the new contract he signed with the Brewers on Sunday, the Associated Press reports.

Spin: "I'm not happy about it at all," Fielder said. "The fact I've had to be renewed two years in a row, I'm not happy about it because there's a lot of guys who have the same amount of time that I do who have done a lot less and are getting paid a lot more." Fielder is up for arbitration at the end of the season.

Does this sound like a guy who is going to give his all this season? Sure he's up for arbitration, but we don't tend to fall in love with arbitration eligible player like we love players who are in their contract year. Arbitration relies too heavily on other players at Fielder's position, who all produce similar numbers. Arbitration does not fuel a player like the prospect of winning free agency lotto.

If the Brewers are out of the playoff run by Mid-July, Fielder can either phone it in for the rest of the season, or try to pad his stats by swinging for the fences. Either way, his strikeout total will increase, as will his waistline once he realizes how bad tofu really tastes.

108 Red Stitches: Mailbag

Time to open up the 108 Red Stitches Mailbag. To ask us a question email 108redstitches@gmail.com. Try to keep it baseball related, spammers not welcome, we know where you live and have Italians on our staff, and we're not afraid to use them.


Dear 108 Red Stitches,

I've got a question regarding closers, or the apparent lack of late in fantasy drafts. Looking over my team, I've notice that I'm weak in the saves category, partially because I failed to draft a K-Rod or a Rivera earlier in the draft.
Looking over my waiver wire, I've got three options; Kerry Wood, BJ Ryan, or Eric Gagne. Any thoughts?

- Kris, New York

We're beginning to believe that you can win in mixed leagues (head to head) without relying too heavily on a closer. What's the big deal if you lose out on one stat category, when you can spend higher picks on guys that will produce in three or four different categories? Back to your question regarding which closer to pick. We faced a similar situation in our league, and decided to go with Ryan. In our situation, we were able to grab Bobby Jenks later in the draft, so we can afford to gamble on Ryan. Wood is tricky, because they have two other options for closer if he doesn't work out. Gagne seems to be the most stable with his role, no one threatening to replace him, as in Ryan and Wood's situations.

That being said, Gagne is fat and lazy. Without anything nipping at his heals, he might have the tendency to become complacent. He signed a one year fat contract, nothing incentive laced, and that scares the hell out of us.

Meet Your 2008 Lugnuts: Fantasy Baseball

After finishing a spot above the cellar last season, the 2008 Lugnuts look dominant, on paper.

But the game isn't played on paper, yada yada, played on a field, yada, injuries, yada, man crush on Nick Swisher.

Determined to re-think our draft strategy, we focused on building a pitching staff with low WHIP and good strike out to walk ratios. Not overly concerned with wins, we even made a few stabs at guys who play for less than stellar teams, partially because of their ability to control their pitches.

Here's our current lineup, keepers from last season listed in red, picks we considered steals in green, re-drafts from last season in yellow, and sleepers in blue. Analysis to follow.

C: Joe Mauer
1B: Prince Fielder
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Miguel Tejada
3B: Garret Atkins
OF: Nick Swisher
OF: Chris Young (Arizona)
OF: Kosuke Fukudome
Utility: Ryan Garko
Bench: Justin Upton, Cameron Maybin

SPs: Jake Peavy, Justin Verlander, Dan Haren, Carlos Zambrano, Jeff Francis, James Shields, Jon Garland, Gil Meche, and Jake Westbrook
RPs: Bobby Jenks, Tony Pena, BJ Ryan, and Scott Shields

Here's What We Love:

Starting Pitching: This is as dominant a fantasy rotation as we've ever had. Haren will be nasty behind Webb, and we drool at the prospect of Haren facing 8 hitters, most of whom never batting against the former Athletic. Peavy, Verlander, and Zambrano will bring the K's and the W's, while Shields, Francis, and Garland provide a very strong back end of a rotation.

Keepers: Our three keepers built a foundation that allowed us to go pitcher heavy in the first five rounds. With Mauer working extra hard on offseason conditioning, he'll be way more productive this season. If Utley and Fielder produce half of what they did last year, it'll be more than the majority of the teams in our league.

What We're Excited About:

Tejada and Young: Tejada is moving to a ballpark that will fall in love with his swing. Young could possibly put up a 30-30 season this year, and fills a power slot in our lineup that was missing (after Fielder). They are major upgrades over JJ Hardy (SS, 2007) and Casey Blake (OF, 2007). We're not going to miss the morning sickness that came with checking Carlos Beltran's stats or the rapid increase of BJ Upton's strikeout total.

What We're Concerned About:

Bullpen: Drafting BJ Ryan late could pay off big time, or he could wind up being a left handed specialist with a sore pitching arm that throws once every five days. We were a little upset with ourselves for not knowing enough about Tony Pena (apparently not their heir apparent to the closer role in Arizona). If every goes wrong according to Murphy's Law, we have one decent closer and three guys who will dominate the ever important holds category.


Jury's Still Out On:

Fukudome, Upton, and Maybin: This could either be the biggest steal since the trade that landed the Padres Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez, or the biggest bust since, well... last season's Lugnuts second to last place finish.

Fantasy Baseball Help: Short Stops

Short stops used to be the fantasy gem position, before first basemen started routinely hitting 40 Home Runs and driving in 100 plus runs ever season. A few years ago, your first round consisted of A-Rod, Jeter, Tejada, and occasionally Frucal, gone before the end of the first round.

Things have changed a little, so we're glad you came looking for some advice.

First, the obvious. Jose Reyes will get you steals, Hanley Ramirez is turing into a cheap 90's A-Rod imitation, Jimmy Rollins will be a MVP Candidate for the next four years, and Derek Jeter will continue to put up solid numbers.

Assuming that you didn't get any of those short stops in your draft, you're left with little options to fill your lineup.

Our biggest "get" at short stop this season will be Miguel Tejada. He'll likely fall in your draft, partially because of the emergence of Troy Tulowitzki as a new fantasy fan favorite, and partially because of his involvement in the steroid scandle.

The last time we checked, being accused of taking steroids is not a major fantasy league statistic. Home runs, rbi's, and run scored, however, are. And since Mr. Tejada will be playing in a ballpark tailored to his offensive approach, we highly recommend grabbing him if he's available.

Edgar Renteria is a quite attractive option at short, too. He'll be hitting in one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball and should have a bunch of at bats with runners in scoring position.

We're suggesting to shy away from two particular short stops this season; J.J. Hardy and David Eckstein. Having Hardy in your lineup is like riding a roller coaster throughout the season. He hit a ton of home runs (15) before the All-Star Break, but fizzled in the second half, barely scraping above 20 dingers to end the season (21).
The Blue Jays signing of Eckstein is a complete head scratcher. If it was a move to sure up defensively, is doesn't make sense; the Jays had one of the best defenses last season. Coupled with the fact that their previous short stop wasn't half bad (John McDonald), signing Eckstein seems like a knee-jerk reaction.

Fantasy Baseball Help: Third Base

If you are looking for the biggest piece of fantasy advice on the internet, you have come to the right place. Get ready for this, and make sure you're sitting down in a chair.

Ready?

DO NOT DRAFT RYAN BRAUN. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU CONSIDER TAKING RYAN BRAUN WITH ANY OF YOUR 25 DRAFT PICKS. LEAVE HIM ON THE FREE AGENT WIRE.

Confused yet?

Good.


We're talking about (obviously) Ryan Braun of the Kansas City Royals. It will be the single most mistake this draft year. Our advice to you is to pay extremely close attention during your online draft, if you are hoping to select Braun. Make sure that you're drafting the correct Braun, the one who plays for the Brew Crew.

Ok, back to normal, every day, 108 Red Stitches advice.

If you can't get your hands on Rodriguez, Wright, or Cabrera, do yourself a favor and pick up Garrett Atkins. As long as Atkins is playing in Coors Field, he'll do wonders for your fantasy team. If you're able to draft Atkins, make sure you have spend a lower level pick on a backup third basemen like;

Chase Headley, Padres. This kid can flat out hit. His only problem is where he plays in the field. With Kevin Kouzmanoff plopped down at third for the Padres, Headley could wind up playing in the outfield, or second base. If he's in the outfield, he'll platoon at first, and won't be worth keeping him on your team. If he plays second, we've got a totally different story. In a position with two great options, (Cano and that other Chase) if moved to second, Headley will immediately increase his value.

Scott Rolen, Toronto. His suggested starting bid is $13. He's a great option because he's hitting in a lineup of guys who love to get on base. If you get into a bidding war with another owner, let him go. $13 is relatively high for a guy on the down slope of his career. Rolen has a little something left in his bat if he can stay healthy this year.

Joe Crede, White Sox. The Giants have expressed interest in Crede, as long as he stays healthy during spring training. With the White Sox having a youngster settling in at third (Josh Fields) Crede becomes expendable. If he heads over to the Bay, his value increases, but not by much. We're not suggestion to draft Crede, just want to make you aware of his current situation.

Fantasy Baseball Help: First Base

Our theme for the 2008 fantasy draft is simply put; "Don't waste high picks or spend tons of hard earned cash on a first baseman." First basemen in this draft come a dime-a-dozen.

Even if the top ten first basemen (as listed by Fantasy Baseball Index) are taken before you have a chance to blink, names like Todd Helton, Kevin Youkilis, Conor Jackson, James Loney, Daric Barton, and Lyle Overbay are still available.

Stay away from high priced under-producers like Carlos Delgado ($15) or Richie Sexson ($12). And be wary of flash in the pans like Dmitri Young or Mike Jacobs. Jacobs should be a 30 Home Run guy with huge fantasy upside, but his swing is way to wild and unpredictable to be a consistent contributor to your team.

And if you ever, ever think about drafting Lance Niekro, you should contact your fantasy league manager and tell him to lock your team for the rest of the season and have a love one submit you to a psych ward. Because you obviously have not idea what you are doing and are considered a danger to the human race.

Joey Votto, Cincinnati. Keep an eye on this rookie, if he wins the starting first base job from Scott Hatteberg, scoop him up. He'll most likely be available in your draft, because he plays for a media-less market and 90% of folks in your draft likely won't ever have heard of him. We realize that we downgraded Brendon Phillips because he plays for the Reds, but there's something about a young lefty with something to prove playing in a hitter's dream park that makes us want to take him later in the draft.

Ben Broussard, Texas. Ron Washington, manager of the Rangers, gave Broussard the starting job at first base, no matter what hand the pitcher is using to throw the ball. So this translates into Broussard getting more at-bats, but that doesn't mean he'll get more quality at-bats. He hits like crap against lefties, but playing in a cozy Arlington ballpark should increase his power numbers a bit.

Joe Koshansky; Rockies. He will be the sleeper pick of the year if the Rockies begin to bottom out early in the season. If they head south quickly, the Rockies would look to trade Helton's hefty contract and pick up some minor league prospects or add to their bullpen. Koshansky can rake, and we can only sit back and smile at the thought of what he would do in Coors Field. If Koshansky becomes trade bait himself, his value decreases just a little, depending on where he winds up.

Fantasy Baseball Help: Second Base

So here's a common situation that many fantasy players find themselves in; It's late in the draft and you've spent a lot of money and draft picks on solidifying your lineup, have a decent bullpen going, and your rotation is looking pretty. However you realize that you missed filling out your second base slot.

First, let us congratulate you on a wise draft so far. Unless you are in the position to draft Chase Utley or Robinson Cano, your top picks shouldn't be wasted on a position that hasn't produced big numbers since Alfonso Soriano lost his eligibility.

While our recent articles have given suggestions on who to take in your draft, we'd like to start out by suggesting players to avoid.

Take Dustin Pedroia for instance. Post season heroics don't translate into season long success. Be careful not to overbid or draft Pedroia too much or too early. Fantasy players have long been known to react to hype machines, and Pedroia is such a machine.

While Fantasy Baseball Index lists Brendon Phillips as their #2 second basemen, we are urging all of our readers to stay far away from Phillips. Cincinnati is a totally different baseball team than last year, and Manager Baker scares us. Look for a significant drop in Phillips' numbers this season.

Let's take a look at some reasonable options that should be around late in the your draft:

Howie Kendrick, Angels. Don't be discouraged by his lack of power, after all, he did break his hand twice last season. If he can improve his strikeout/walk ratio, he's got a great chance to add 20 points to his already high .322 batting average. Be wary, he's not a producer when it comes to stolen bases, so if you need that statistic from a second baseman, pass on Kendrick.

Kelly Johnson, Braves. Drafting Johnson could pay off in two different ways. If he is slotted in the leadoff spot in the Braves lineup, He'll score a bunch of runs and might steal a base or two. If he's bumped down in the lineup, he'll have more RBI opportunities. Watch his progress in the spring, and then draft him (or not) based on his lineup position.

Fantasy Baseball Help: Pitchers

So here's a common situation that many fantasy players find themselves in; It's late in the draft and you've spent a lot of money and draft picks on solidifying your , lineup,have a decent bullpen going, but your rotation could use . You look at your slots and notice that you need to pick up another starter, but since its so late in the draft, almost everyone is gone.

Let's take a look at some reasonable options that should be around late in the your draft: (Players chosen are based on a 10 team league, with the top 60 players ranked by Fantasy Baseball Index removed from consideration, assuming that each team has already drafted four or five starters).

Barry Zito; Giants. Zito is listed at 61 in the rankings, and has a starting bid of $10. Our advice is to offer up to $12, to see if any other owner might bite, but don't go any higher. Sure Zito had a rough season last year (11-13, 4.53 ERA), but he's capable of bouncing back. Since Zito is most likely going to be facing other team's 1 and 2 starters, his run support (from an already listless lineup) will likely be non-exsistant. There's going to be plenty of other options out there, but if he's your number five starter, you're staff is probably in good shape to begin with.

Dontrelle Willis; Tigers. Willis is one of our sleepers in this years draft. He moves to a pitcher's park and has a lineup of devastating hitters. The Tigers could easily average 5-6 runs per game, which would win him a boat load of ballgames if he shaves a run off of last years 5.17 ERA. The Tigers have a nice bullpen that will save him 3 or 4 wins this year, but its the lineup, the ballpark, and the fact that he'll be low in the rotation that makes Willis an attractive grab.

Mark Prior; Padres. Suggested starting bid, $6. Can he stay healthy? Can he regain his old form? Our answer is a maybe. But isn't that what you're looking for in a back end starter on your fantasy team? He's going to be pitching in another pitcher heaven and facing back end of the rotation types. We'd bench him whenever he starts against Colorado, so take a gamble on Prior.

Manny Parra, Brewers. He threw a perfect game in Triple-A. The Brewers had enough confidence to start him during their playoff run. The suggested starting bid is $4. Most of the guys in your league never have heard of any other Manny than the lazy left fielder on the Red Sox. Do it. Do it. Pick up Parra. You can send us the thank you checks in the fall.

Matt Clement; Cardinals. Look at the resurrections that have occured in St. Louis. Carpenter, Suppan, Izzy, Looper, whether its post operation or a place where careers go to resurrect from the dead, there's something about Clement that says he'll follow precedence. While Clement is a fringe prospect, we're just here to remind you that stranger things have happened to pitchers wearing the Red Birds uniform.

Fantasy Baseball Help: Outfielders

So here's a common situation that many fantasy players find themselves in; It's late in the draft and you've spent a lot of money and draft picks on solidifying your rotation, lineup, and have a decent bullpen going. You look at your slots and notice that you need to pick up another outfielder, but since its so late in the draft, almost everyone is gone.

Let's take a look at some reasonable options that should be around late in the your draft:
(Players chosen are based on a 10 team league, with the top 80 players ranked by Fantasy Baseball Index removed from consideration).

Carlos Quentin; White Sox. Fully healthy coming into this season, Quentin, if given enough playing time, could blossom in Chicago. Living in a hitter's park could mean greater home run numbers for Quentin, which is unexpected in an outfielder chosen this late in the draft.

Josh Anderson, Braves. Twenty five years old, runs like the wind, covers ground like a cheetah. Might not have the best shot of cracking the opening day lineup, but with an aging Kotsay in centerfield, its only a matter of time before Anderson takes over. In an era where the running game seems to have disappeared, Anderson's 84 steals over the past two minor league seasons is exciting.

Endy Chavez, Mets. With the chance of Moises Alou out for an extended period, Alou owners might want to consider picking up Chavez until he returns. He's relatively cheap (suggested starting bid is $1) and has a major upside sitting in the Mets lineup.

Ryan Sweeney, Athletics. Dealt to Oakland in the Swisher deal, Sweeney had a rough Triple-A in Charlotte last year, but a change in scenery and a chance to play every day in the bigs can get a young guy going. He's not our favorite out of this group, but he's got a major, major upside if he cracks Oakland's lineup.

Prospect Analysis: Clay Buchholz

Name: Clay Buchholz
Organization: Boston Red Sox
Position: Pitcher
Born: 8/14/1984
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Drafted: 2005, 1st Round (45th Overall)

Technically he's still considered a prospect, even though he threw a no-hitter against Baltimore last season. SoxProspects.com says that "Buchholz has a low-to-mid 90s four-seam fastball, a two seam fastball with decent movement, a slider, a hard 12-6 curveball, and a changeup." His best pitch is the curveball, followed by the changeup, then the 90 mph fastball.
In an early 2008 spring training session, according to rotowire.com, "Red Sox hitters were raving about Buchholz' 40-pitch batting practice session on Tuesday, the Boston Herald reports. "He has a fastball that moves, a really good changeup, and a good curveball," third baseman Mike Lowell said. "That's a pretty good mix to have when you can throw them all for strikes, and I think that's what separated him when he came up last year, that he threw them all for strikes." Kevin Cash caught Buchholz during the session and was equally impressed. "He was filthy." Cash said, "His changeup and curveball were great, but his changeup was even better than his curve. He really has them all, a 12-to-6 curveball, the changeup, and his slider is really nasty, too. He pretty much had it all going today." Buchholz, who is competing for the fifth starter spot in the rotation, will make his spring debut Sunday against Minnesota.

Prospect Analysis: Eric Hurley

Name: Eric Hurley
Organization: Texas Rangers
Position: Pitcher
Born: 9/17/1985
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Drafted: 2004, 1st Round


Eric Hurley, for the second consecutive season, was named the top prospect in the Rangers organization. Oddly enough, Hurley was passed on for a late 2007 September call up.
Hurley throws a fastball that averages anywhere between 94-96 mph, and is developing a slider and a changeup, both being good candidates for out-pitches in the major leagues someday.
Hurley started last season in Double-A, posting a 7-2 record with a 3.25 ERA. He was promoted to Triple-A where he struggled a bit (4-7, 5.52 ERA). His strikeout to walk ratio also dipped with the move, but was still consistent (he walked 27/28 in AA/AAA).
What Scout Magazine likes most about Eric Hurley is his mound presence; "The former first-round pick never appears flustered in any situation, and refuses to back down to any hitter."
We're not sure what to make of Hurley; his numbers fluctuate whenever he is initially promoted to another level, but eventually level off after spending another season at that level. Evidence located here courtesy of First Inning.

Prospect Analysis: Travis Snider

Name: Travis Snider
Organization: Toronto Blue Jays
Position: Outfield
Born: 2/2/1988
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Drafted: 2006, 1st Round (14th Overall)


Snider has been given the honor by multiple big league scouts of being the best hitting prospect selected in the 2006 draft. We like him just for the fact that he played for the Lansing Lugnuts, leading them offensively as he tore through minor league pitchers.
Selecting Snider was a major organizational shift for the Blue Jays, who previously frowned upon selecting players right out of high school. Consider this a wise move. According to Scout Magazine, one National League Scout had this to say of Snider; "The Blue Jays have themselves a legitimate threat. He's going to be a 10-time All-Star in the American League. I see him causing havoc in the major leagues within the next two years."
Snider is expected to begin the 2008 season with Dunedin, but will most likely be promoted to New Hampshire come the summer. The Jays are taking their time with Travis, but once he reaches the majors, lookout.

Prospect Analysis: Evan Longoria

Name: Evan Longoria
Organization: Tampa Bay Rays
Position: Third Base
Born: 10/7/1985
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Drafted: 2006, 1st Round (3rd Overall)

Longoria looks to be the last of the once plentiful Rays Minor League talent. With all their jewels and stars lining their opening day roster, (or the Twins' roster) the Rays have finally taken their youth movement to the Major League level.
The Rays like Longoria so much, that they've decided to move Akinori Iwamura, last year's starting third basemen, over to second base. Baring injury or a chance in front office policy, Longoria is slated to play third for the Rays this season.
Longoria projects as a low .300 hitter with some nice pop in his bat. Look for him to hit at least 20 HRs this season, while Scout Magazine suggests he could easily knock around 30.
If you're looking for a third basemen in your fantasy league, Longoria might be your answer. In an interview with RaysDigest.com, a veteran scout said of Longoria; "Evan is the est hitting prospect out there, in my eyes. Look for him to hit 20-plus home runs as a rookie, and then consistently for years to come."

Prospect Analysis: Clayton Kershaw

Name: Clayton Kershaw
Organization: LA Dodgers
Position: Pitcher
Born: 3/19/1988
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Drafted: 2006, 1st Round, 7th Overall


Mixing in the wily veterans with a youth corps, the Dodgers are more than excited over the prospects of this 20 year old lefty tossing the pelota in Chavez Ravine this season. Scout Magazine lists him as the number one prospect in the Dodger organization, ahead of masher Andy Laroche and Double A reliever of the year award winner Jon Meloan.

Kershaw started his career in Low A-Ball (Great Lakes) and finished last year in Double A Jacksonville. Kershaw was a combined 8-7, but had an ERA of 2.95 , and batters hit at a .204 clip against the southpaw.

Will Kershaw be wearing Dodger blue this season? It depends. If he comes out firing on all cylinders in Vero Beach or if a Dodger starter gets hurt early in the season, there's reason to believe Kershaw will be considered for a call up.