Russell Martin - Los Angeles Dodgers - Catcher
It may sound odd, but I actually think this is good news. It was clear that Trane was struggling with a lingering injury throughout 2009. Obviously, he's probably the league's premier "gamer," a Charlie Hustle-type who resists taking even routine days off (he's average 150 games a season over the last three years, easily tops at his position). As a result, his offensive production has suffered in the second half, even in his best seasons ('07 & '08). If this injury allows Joe Torre to give him more frequent rest in April and May, I think fantasy owners will see dividends in his overall production. Russell's definitely getting drafted like a top five catcher, despite his off year in '09. Hopefully this news will push him down a rung, behind guys like Miguel Montero, Kurt Suzuki, and Mike Napoli. At that price, I'd draft him with gusto.
Alex Gordon - Kansas City Royals - Third Base
Gordon was a tempting "sleeper" pick at a shallow position prior to breaking his thumb. Now, he won't find his way onto any of my teams. Hand injuries have lingering effects on production, even once the player is deemed fully healthy. The upside for fantasy owners, especially in deep leagues, is that this assures that both Josh Fields and Alberto Callaspo get regular at-bats. Callaspo was K.C.'s second most productive hitter in '09 (which is, granted, like being the second best show on TNT). He's got multiple position eligibility and thankfully, in fantasy, the fact that he makes Skip Schumaker look like a natural infielder doesn't effect you.
Josh Hamilton - Texas Rangers - Outfield
Hamilton's shoulder issues are definitely driving down his price in many leagues. I think you've got to treat him as you would Carlos Beltran, a guy who's likely to miss as much as half of the season, but who could provide elite production for an extended stretch. I wouldn't be surprised if both Hamilton and Beltran make at least 120 starts. If either of these guys is available 100 picks into your draft (or for $12-$15 in a standard auction), it's well worth the gamble, just make sure sure you also select a solid sixth outfielder.
Jose Reyes - New York Mets - Shortstop
If you were willing to gamble on Reyes last Friday, no reason to change your mind based on the recent news. His thyroid condition, whatever it is, is highly unlikely to have any effect on his career, outside costing him a few Spring Training games. You can only hope that it drives some other owner to caution and provides a small discount. For my, personally, I wasn't willing to pay the premium on Reyes last week and unless he drops dramatically, I'll still be hesitant.
Showing posts with label Alex Gordon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Gordon. Show all posts
Monday, March 08, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Offseason Prospectus #30: The Kansas City Royals
Last, but not...well, actually...
There are a number of baseball franchises which vie for the title of "Best Punchline." The Pirates recently set a record of prolonged futility by finishing below .500 for seventeen consecutive seasons. The Nationals/Expos have made just one playoff appearance in their 41 year history. And, of course, there are the accursed Cubs, who championship drought recently extended beyond the century mark.
But for pure sporting incompetence, it's hard to argue with the Kansas City Royals. They won the World Series in 1985 and for a few years thereafter were contenders in the AL West. Since the late eighties, however, the Royals have managed a winning record only three times (once during the strike-shortened '94 season) and have not returned to the postseason since their '85 championship.
In recent years, they have grown more and more woeful, as they've featured eight managers in their past eight seasons and cracked 100 losses four times. In the tenure of current General Manager, Dayton Moore, they have become a kind of anachronism, a franchise which seems steadfastly determined to defy the evolutions of their industry...and not in a good way.
In 2009, FanGraphs ranked 154 players according to Wins Above Replacement. Of those 154, only eight finished below replacement level. And the man who finished 154th was almost a full win worse than the guy at 153 (Aubrey Huff). That man was Yuniesky Betancourt, the former Mariner shortstop who was Moore's primary 2009 acquisition. Betancourt wasn't just the worst player in baseball, he was the worst player by a long shot.
For Dayton Moore, this is just the most dramatic instance of his stubbornly standing in defiance of "new-fangled" statistical metrics. This offseason alone he signed three players who score extraordinarily low in categories like WAR, UZR, and OPS: Scott Podsednik, Jason Kendall, and Rick Ankiel. And for this reason he's become the scourge of sabermetric analysts like Rob Neyer, who happens to also be a Royals fan.
But while Moore is eviscerated by sportswriters (in this rare instance, the sabermetricians and the traditionalists seem mostly in agreement) he has the full endorsement of Kansas City ownership, which recently extended his contract through the 2013 season. Unfortunately, that probably assures that Royals fans are looking at four more years of absolutely dismal baseball.
There are a number of baseball franchises which vie for the title of "Best Punchline." The Pirates recently set a record of prolonged futility by finishing below .500 for seventeen consecutive seasons. The Nationals/Expos have made just one playoff appearance in their 41 year history. And, of course, there are the accursed Cubs, who championship drought recently extended beyond the century mark.
But for pure sporting incompetence, it's hard to argue with the Kansas City Royals. They won the World Series in 1985 and for a few years thereafter were contenders in the AL West. Since the late eighties, however, the Royals have managed a winning record only three times (once during the strike-shortened '94 season) and have not returned to the postseason since their '85 championship.
In recent years, they have grown more and more woeful, as they've featured eight managers in their past eight seasons and cracked 100 losses four times. In the tenure of current General Manager, Dayton Moore, they have become a kind of anachronism, a franchise which seems steadfastly determined to defy the evolutions of their industry...and not in a good way.
In 2009, FanGraphs ranked 154 players according to Wins Above Replacement. Of those 154, only eight finished below replacement level. And the man who finished 154th was almost a full win worse than the guy at 153 (Aubrey Huff). That man was Yuniesky Betancourt, the former Mariner shortstop who was Moore's primary 2009 acquisition. Betancourt wasn't just the worst player in baseball, he was the worst player by a long shot.
For Dayton Moore, this is just the most dramatic instance of his stubbornly standing in defiance of "new-fangled" statistical metrics. This offseason alone he signed three players who score extraordinarily low in categories like WAR, UZR, and OPS: Scott Podsednik, Jason Kendall, and Rick Ankiel. And for this reason he's become the scourge of sabermetric analysts like Rob Neyer, who happens to also be a Royals fan.
But while Moore is eviscerated by sportswriters (in this rare instance, the sabermetricians and the traditionalists seem mostly in agreement) he has the full endorsement of Kansas City ownership, which recently extended his contract through the 2013 season. Unfortunately, that probably assures that Royals fans are looking at four more years of absolutely dismal baseball.
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