RSSThe Draft Continues
March 12, 2012
kosmo - See all 763 of my articles
Note: this is the second in a series. Go here to start.
Most importantly, I have a name for my team (I use a different name each year). It’s The Electric Company … ‘cuz the power is always on.
Round 5
I get L and the group O/I for this round. Time to get some pitchers. I grab Jon Lester of the Red Sox with L. Lester should be good for 15-18 wins, 200+ strikeouts, and an ERA in the low 3s.
O+I is a bad letting grouping. I think about nabbing Raul Ibanez, but take Juan Oviedo (former Leo Nunez). Oviedo lost his closer role to Heath Bell, but maybe Bell will get hurt. Worst case scenario is that I cut him loose. There’s not point in getting attached to an O/I player – they rarely pan out.
Round 6
I get C and F this around. Did one of the shortstops fall to me? Yep – Asdrubal Cabrera. Cabrera and Castro are fairly similar in value in most categories (we use OBP, so Cabrera’s ability to walk offsets Castro’s higher BA), except that Cabrera smacked 25 homer last year. That’s probably a fluke, but maybe not. In any case, I can breath a sigh of relief at having a shortstop.
F has more possibilities. Pitchers Gavin Floyd (starter), Frank Francisco (reliever), and outfielder Dexter Fowler. I try to avoid overtly “homer” picks, but I go with Fowler. I believe that he finally has things figured out after a couple of stints in AAA. He should provide good OBP and steals, and perhaps even a bit of power if the off-season weight game helps his strength. Also, I haven’t picked any outfielders yet, and I’ll need some.
Round 7
Letters for the round are R and J. J is not a great letter. Desmond Jennings got snapped up in the previous round, so I’m picking between Jair Jurrjens and Edwin Jackson. E-Jack is in a pitcher’s park in Washington, so I nab him. However, I really don’t want mediocre (or worse) pitchers dragging down my ERA and WHIP, so I’ll have a quick hook.
R is a no-brainer. Yankees ace closer Mariano Rivera joins my team to provide some saves.
Round 8
I have H and A in round 8. The pickings are getting slim in the letter A. It’s down to a choice between the once-great but aging Bobby Abreu, and the up-and-comer Yonder Alonso. Neither is guaranteed a full slate of at bats this year. While Abreu’s steals are tempting, I take Alonso. Among other considerations, if he becomes the first baseman for he Padres, he will be eligible at boh 1B and OF. Also, I like the name.
Matt Holliday is my guy at H. He’s a safe bet for a .380+ OBP with 25-30 homers, and 90-100 RBI.
At this point, I’ve picked sixteen players – eleven position players and five pitchers. I narrowly missed getting Demond Jennings as my J guy and I was hoping that somehow Mike Trout would drop to me in the 1oth round (unlikely, and it didn’t happen), but on the flip side, I had Asdrubal Cabrera fall to me, so I can’t complain.
I’ve filled all the offensive positions so far. I’d really like to add another strong outfield bat at some point, in case Fowler and/or Alonso falter. I definitely want to stock up on closers. Either Heath Bell or Andrew Bailey are guaranteed to fall to me, and I’ll take either of them (even if Carlos Beltran is available) and I’ll likely go after Jason Motte or Carlos Marmol in the 10th. That would give me four closers (as well as Oviedo, who would likely fill in if Bell got injured). After the ten rounds, we fill three most roster spots. I’ll likely fill two of them with another outfielder and another closer.
More draft results to follow.
