Some of this blog’s readers are not going to be interested in what follows, but I know some of you are fellow fantasy baseball players interested in my annual draft – which took place today – so click below the fold.
I never did get to go through how I managed to miss out on winning my league last year despite having, at quite reasonable prices, the MVP, Cy Young and – off the waiver wire – Rookie of the Year (Mauer, Greinke and Bailey), plus Victor Martinez and Justin Verlander at good prices as well (I got them, Greinke and Mauer for less than $20 apiece; this year, the four would have set you back $119); but the answer mostly begins and ends with spending $40 on Grady Sizemore. Anyway, it came down to checking my blackberry to watch the boxscore unfold in game 163, and when neither Mauer nor Denard Span hit enough homers to get me back to first – where I’d been as late as game 160 or 161, if I recall rightly – I fell short.
This year’s team was a classic of good news, bad news. The good news: I saved my money and ended up with four solid starters, as many as four possible closers, and everyday players at all but one position (2B), all but one or two of them with some power. The bad news: I saved too much money to the end, have too few stars and too few steals, and am sort of at sea for a fifth starter.
Here’s the roster, with prices (traditional AL 4-category Roto league, $260 budget, 12 teams.
C-Matt Wieters $18
C-Adam Moore $8
I overpaid a little for Wieters because we were running to the end of quality catchers, not because I’m overconfident that he’ll bust out; Moore was one of my last picks when I was burning extra cash.
1B-Lyle Overbay $4
3B-Kevin Kouzmanoff $11
CI-Brandon Wood $6
All everyday players with pop, cheap.
2B-Alberto Callaspo-$10
SS-Cliff Pennington-$7
MI-Yuniesky Betancourt-$11
Poor cash management: Betancourt was my last buy on whom I blew my remaining stack of cash, and Callaspo also came near the end. Callaspo will play regularly only until Gordon returns, but at least he should contribute a good batting average. Pennington will run a bit.
OF-Josh Hamilton $24
OF-Nick Swisher $11
OF-Magglio Ordonez $14
OF-Nolan Reimold $15
OF-Delmon Young $14
I’m happy with my outfield, all regulars with some power at reasonable prices, some undervalued veterans (Ordonez) and some youths with growth potential (Young).
DH-Jack Cust $7
Power, but won’t help in any other way.
P-Jeff Niemann $11
P-John Lackey $18
P-Jake Peavy $20
P-David Price $12
P-Derek Holland $2
P-Bobby Jenks $19
P-Kerry Wood $5
P-Jon Rauch $6
P-Jason Frasor $7
Wood is supposed to be out 6-8 weeks, but he is in Cleveland for no other reason than to close. Frasor won the Toronto closer job, a note I saw this morning before the draft. Rauch has the inside track on closing in Minnesota. Unfortunately, the starters are a little shaky and Holland has been sent back to AAA, so my reserve draft was partly concerned with finding people to get innings and wins until Wood and Holland arrive.
Reserves:
1-Ben Revere
2-Tommy Hunter
3-Andy Sonnanstine
4-Matt Tolbert
5-Juan Cruz
6-Jeremy Accardo
7-Trevor Crowe
8-Mitch Maier
9-Armando Galarraga
10-Wilson Betemit
Crank, if he is still available pick up Mike Aviles from the Royals. He is almost back from Tommy John surgery and tearing the cover off the ball. In the Yahoo game he is only available as a SS, but may get time at 2B and possibly 3B early while he builds arm strength. Should be able to get him cheap.
Sizemore killed me also last year $36 AL auction draft. Came in 4th despite getting Edwin Jackson, Aaron Hill and Marco Scutaro fo a combined $10.
Sizemore killed me also last year $36 AL auction draft. Came in 4th despite getting Edwin Jackson, Aaron Hill and Marco Scutaro fo a combined $10.
We’re in the process of our pre-draft bidding right now (both leagues, 6X6 format w/renewals). I renewed M. Reynolds, Ludwick, Jered Weaver, J. Bruce Tim Hudson, & Aardsma for next to nothing & took a gamble on A. Chapman for the minimum. Picked up Ryan Howard for a lot of cash, but I should now be good on the power numbers & now need to look at average & speed (I’m sensing a Japanese player from SEA in my outfield would fit nicely).
In our league, the top 10 studs go for twice what they’re really worth, the next 20 are 50% inflated while the last 25 bid players are almost “stolen”. (yes, everyone’s tried the “I’ll wait and get all the bargains” approach. To date, in the 16 year league history, it’s never worked as you need at least one of those top 30 in order to win. Usually, 2).
I would be hopeless at these leagues. Beyond the Yankees, I don’t follow baseball that much. I’d be a lock for last place. The closest I came was trying strat-o-matic baseball briefly for a while in college. There were a few hard-core players of that on Mulledy 1W.
I think your starting rotation is better than you are making it out to be. Lackey should have a very good year, Price has a chance at a break-out year, Peavy could be excellent if he is healthy and you got them all on the cheap.