2012 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball - SDMB Big League

The Game Room
61

<insert ex-girlfriend joke here>

62

I’m ready. I prefer live draft which I believe, for Yahoo!, also allows for pre-ranked autopicks. I drafted in a 20 team league with auction format a few days. It was a brutal 6 hours: my first and probably final time venturing into an auction league.

63

20 team auction? I bet the endgame was brutal!

64

Motherfuck, it happened again.

I draft 20th - you can’t even see my name on the top.

65

9th and 12th. I can live with that. Means at least 16, but no more than 22, players come off the board between picks for me. Least I can do a little breathing between, and even hit the can if necessary (at least refill my coffee cup).

66

I hate my team. I hate drafting at the end. I hate drafting players who are out for the season.

Okay, I don’t TOTALLY hate my pitching staff. I do hate the Madon pick, of course, as well as Tomlin. But, dammit, I seem to have punted Wins AGAIN. I hate my hitters, though. I loathe Orlando Hudson (well, not personally), and I can only hope that some of the upside I’m hoping for comes through.

And why are all the available players on Waivers?

67

I think I’m OK with my team. Tough to know with so many no names and unproven guys, but considering I went in without a plan and had done no research it’s pretty decent.

I’m loaded with 1Bs with Fielder, Teixeira and Morse and shouldn’t have too much trouble with those counting stats. Tex’s BA worries me some as does Prince’s new team and ballpark, but these guys were steals where I got the, Morse was a value pick who thankfully has LF/OF eligibility. I’ve got a few wildcards in there with Mauer at Catcher, Cespedes at CF and Hafner clogging up the Util spot. Hafner will probably be fine. Mauer may make or break my team and who the hell knows what to expect from Cespedes. I think I managed OK with my infield spots considering I gave them no attention. Aviles could be a Runs machine. Also liked the late addition of Venable as a steals specialist.

The strength of my team will hopefully be pitching. I’ve got a few studs in Kennedy, Garza, Pineda and Scherzer and wins and Ks should come in droves. Depth will be a real problem since I don’t have any other starters, but I can figure that out later. I also should have a nice balance of Saves and Holds with Nathan, Motte, Broxton and Wood. We’ll see, but most years I basically punt on Ks and Saves and end up in the middle of the pack. This year will hopefully be better.

68

That’s how Yahoo always handles post-draft free agents – they’re treated like waived players are during the season, so some wiseacre doesn’t hit the free agent pool seconds after the draft is over and grab them up before anyone else gets a shot. They’re on waivers for 3 days or whatever the period is, during which time anyone can claim them – claims are processed in order of waiver priority, which is initially the inverse of the draft order, I believe. Once you’ve successfully made a waiver claim, you go to the bottom of the waiver priority, so everyone else gets a shot at any remaining players before your next claim is processed, etc.

69

Yes, but the Commissioner can set it up so that all undrafted players automatically become Free Agents. That’s how I do it in my league, and I thought we’d done it that way before here, too, but apparently not.

70

Ugh. Ryan Braun with the sixth pick. Off the juice and no Prince to back him up. I thought I’d done a good job of adjusting the autopicks, but I completely whiffed on Braun.

71

This was the first year that I didn’t make it through the entire draft, though I only gave up in about the middle of the 23rd. The later start time plus getting back to 20 teams was a brutal combo.

I am relatively ambivalent about my draft. I feel like I had the early rounds dictated to me by my position and those drafting around me a bit more than I prefer: I’m not in love with my picks in rounds 2-5 or so, but they were basically ‘best player available’ dictated by what else was picked around me. I REALLY hated missing out on Bourn by 2 picks in 4, though there’s some downside there too.

Also, my apologies to any Orioles fans that might be out there. I’ve had something like six starting catchers either get injured or massively underperform in my eight years in this league, and Wieters is my guy this year. Sorry.

I’ll post some more thoughts when I have time later today.

72

Eight out of my first nine picks are batters, and likewise my pitching staff is filled with injury risk potential has-beens Peavy, Liriano, Johan, and Strasburg. With ARod and Ichiro in my lineup, there is a chance for disaster and a 20th place finish.

73

In reverse draft order, because a) I want to be first in at least one thing in this league this season, b) the rest of you should be punished for clearly making animal sacrifices for your superior draft positions and c) it’s my own damn write-up!

Munch

  1. (20) Curtis Granderson (NYY - CF)
  2. (21) José Reyes (Mia - SS)
  3. (60) Ben Zobrist (TB - 2B,RF)
  4. (61) Michael Cuddyer (Col - 1B,2B,RF)
  5. (100) Billy Butler (KC - 1B)
  6. (101) Carlos Beltrán (StL - RF)
  7. (140) Nick Markakis (Bal - RF)
  8. (141) Josh Beckett (Bos - SP)
  9. (180) Edwin Encarnación (Tor - 1B,3B)
  10. (181) Brennan Boesch (Det - LF,RF)
  11. (220) Mike Adams (Tex - RP)
  12. (221) David Robertson (NYY - RP)
  13. (260) Lorenzo Cain (KC - OF)
  14. (261) Greg Holland (KC - RP)
  15. (300) Sergio Romo (SF - RP)
  16. (301) Addison Reed (CWS - RP)
  17. (340) Ramón Hernández (Col - C)
  18. (341) Joel Peralta (TB - RP)
  19. (380) Felipe Paulino (KC - SP,RP)
  20. (381) Juan Carlos Oviedo (Mia - RP)
  21. (420) Travis Snider (Tor - LF)
  22. (421) Trevor Plouffe (Min - 2B,SS,RF)
  23. (460) James McDonald (Pit - SP)
  24. (461) Manny Ramírez (Oak - Util)

As you can see, I went with a slightly different tack on this draft. I essentially punted Wins and (maybe) Saves, in favor of elite setup men who strike a ton out. Holland should be a closer this season, and each of Adams/Robertson/Reed/Peralta/Romo/Oviedo (pending some minor international legal trouble) has a shot at taking the closer role this season, all while racking up an absurd amount of Holds and compiling an impressive set of ratios. We’ll see, I guess. That also allowed me to focus strongly on my offense. Aside from Catcher, there’s not much fat here (other than Butler, of course). Everyone is (mostly) a strong OBP player with at least average power (except Reyes, who will be fine tearing up the basepaths). Granderson was an absolute steal at the first turn, and offers everything you’re looking for in a top pick in this league. He doesn’t have a .400+ OBP, but that’s fine. I’m not completely sold on my corner outfielders of Markakis and Boesch, but I think both are poised for a good season, Boesch especially. My 3/4 picks of Zobrist and Cuddyer stressed me out, but I think I like it. They created some scarcity, filled in my offense nicely, and gave solid balance to my categories. The fact that I thought that there were MI and CI positions instead of just an IF slot didn’t have ANYthing to do with it…

Also, I never want to draft last again. This is like the 5th time I’ve been in the last 3 or 4 slots, and it’s awful. I’d much rather wait 38 picks knowing I have Miguel Cabrera on my roster.

Chitwood

  1. (19) Ian Kinsler (Tex - 2B)
  2. (22) Andrew McCutchen (Pit - CF)
  3. (59) Kevin Youkilis (Bos - 1B,3B)
  4. (62) Michael Young (Tex - 1B,2B,3B)
  5. (99) Jayson Werth (Was - CF,RF)
  6. (102) Alex Avila (Det - C)
  7. (139) Chris Carpenter (StL - SP)
  8. (142) Ubaldo Jiménez (Cle - SP)
  9. (179) Kendrys Morales (LAA - 1B,RF)
  10. (182) Jonny Venters (Atl - RP)
  11. (219) Carlos Lee (Hou - 1B,LF)
  12. (222) Brett Myers (Hou - SP)
  13. (259) Neftali Feliz (Tex - RP)
  14. (262) Marco Scutaro (Col - SS)
  15. (299) Jed Lowrie (Hou - 3B,SS)
  16. (302) Seth Smith (Oak - LF,RF)
  17. (339) Carlos Zambrano (Mia - SP)
  18. (342) Mark Buehrle (Mia - SP)
  19. (379) Alexi Casilla (Min - 2B,SS)
  20. (382) Tyler Pastornicky (Atl - SS)
  21. (419) Josh Thole (NYM - C)
  22. (422) Drew Pomeranz (Col - SP)
  23. (459) Philip Humber (CWS - SP)
  24. (462) Al Alburquerque (Det - RP)

I have to say that I was worried when I saw Chitwood next to me at the draft – I was really worried he’d be stealing picks left and right from me. But aside from Youkilis, I think we stayed off each other’s toes this time around. This draft is really solid, and the pick of Venters gave me absolute fits. I was positive it’d start a Holds run, completely ruining my entire strategy since I wouldn’t be drafting for another 38 picks. But all you Saves obsessers ignored the top MR talent (except for Brown Worms, who snagged Clippard) and let me do my thing. There is a lot of value on this team, and a lot of potential. I don’t think the stars will align where Carpenter gets healthy quickly, Ubaldo regains his form, Zambrano is anything north of horrible, Morales finds his swing, Neftali becomes a star starter AND Carlos Lee squeezes one more year of blood out of that turnip, but you have to think at least half of those will be true.

Petelin

  1. (18) Roy Halladay (Phi - SP)
  2. (23) Hanley Ramírez (Mia - SS)
  3. (58) Brett Lawrie (Tor - 3B)
  4. (63) Matt Cain (SF - SP)
  5. (98) James Shields (TB - SP)
  6. (103) Drew Storen (Was - RP)
  7. (138) Ryan Howard (Phi - 1B)
  8. (143) Cameron Maybin (SD - CF)
  9. (178) Jaime García (StL - SP)
  10. (183) Yunel Escobar (Tor - SS)
  11. (218) Frank Francisco (NYM - RP)
  12. (223) Hiroki Kuroda (NYY - SP)
  13. (258) Mike Trout (LAA - LF,CF,RF)
  14. (263) Alcides Escobar (KC - SS)
  15. (298) Alex Presley (Pit - LF)
  16. (303) Nolan Reimold (Bal - LF)
  17. (338) Jonathan Lucroy (Mil - C)
  18. (343) Johnny Giavotella (KC - 2B)
  19. (378) Roy Oswalt (Phi - SP)
  20. (383) Jarrod Parker (Oak - SP)
  21. (418) Wilin Rosario (Col - C)
  22. (423) Rod Barajas (Pit - C)
  23. (458) Darren Oliver (Tor - RP)
  24. (463) Andrés Torres (NYM - CF)

Pitching, pitching, pitching (and Ryan Howard) (oh, and catchers). Okay, Hanley and Lawrie are up there as well, which are really solid picks – and completely screwed my chances of a top 3B once it forced Chitwood’s hand into stealing taking Youk from me. I always seem to attempt different pitching strategies in this league because starters only contribute to 4 out of the 6 categories, and it makes it tough when there are 6-cat guys out there. However, this league has been won plenty of times on the backs of stud pitchers – and they’re here in spades. Which makes picks like Kuroda stick out a bit, since you didn’t need to take any chances when you had holes to fill on offense. I can’t criticize anyone’s endgame, since there’s simply no one left – but 3 catchers is excessive. One of them will end up dropped as you dig around for a 1B to play until Howard gets back (which could be May, could be September). Not having a starting 2B isn’t good either. Giavo SHOULD be the starter, but the infinite wisdom of the Royals has decided to keep kissing that frog Yuni to see if maybe he’ll turn into a prince this time around.

Winnowill’s Whiners

  1. (17) Clayton Kershaw (LAD - SP)
  2. (24) Carlos Santana (Cle - C,1B)
  3. (57) Shin-Soo Choo (Cle - RF)
  4. (64) Craig Kimbrel (Atl - RP)
  5. (97) Brett Gardner (NYY - LF,CF)
  6. (104) Mark Reynolds (Bal - 1B,3B)
  7. (137) Alexei Ramírez (CWS - SS)
  8. (144) Carlos Quentin (SD - RF)
  9. (177) Huston Street (SD - RP)
  10. (184) Danny Espinosa (Was - 2B)
  11. (217) Scott Baker (Min - SP)
  12. (224) Joaquín Benoit (Det - RP)
  13. (257) James Loney (LAD - 1B)
  14. (264) Nate Schierholtz (SF - LF,RF)
  15. (297) Jarrod Saltalamacchia (Bos - C)
  16. (304) Ryan Madson (Cin - RP)
  17. (337) Glen Perkins (Min - RP)
  18. (344) Ian Stewart (ChC - 3B)
  19. (377) Rick Porcello (Det - SP)
  20. (384) Orlando Hudson (SD - 2B)
  21. (417) Juan Nicasio (Col - SP)
  22. (424) Roger Bernadina (Was - LF,CF,RF)
  23. (457) Chris Resop (Pit - RP)
  24. (464) Josh Tomlin (Cle - SP)

Ah, the second round catcher. Winno’s been known for three things in fantasy – drafting Indians, drafting catchers, and drafting balance. It looks like this time around you left the balance at the door, and went with specialists (i.e. Gardner), which I think is a good idea if you can’t get that balance at a reasonable price. I think you’re going to be a few SBs short of the pack (which isn’t a bad thing – it makes you one pickup away from gaining ground), but you filled in the gaps with power hitters who’ve never seen a pitch they didn’t like. I also don’t like reaching for a closer, but if you’re going to do it, be the first one to do it (Brown Worms doesn’t count) – Kimbrel is an absolute machine. He had more Ks than your #2 SP, Baker, and did it in 60 few innings! That’s amazing. You only have two holes on offense that could very well turn out to be non-issues (Stewart and Schierholtz), and despite your Madson error, your pitching staff is balanced (if a little short on starters).

Forkville Ferishers

  1. (16) Dustin Pedroia (Bos - 2B)
  2. (25) Adrián Béltre (Tex - 3B)
  3. (56) David Price (TB - SP)
  4. (65) Shane Victorino (Phi - CF)
  5. (96) Corey Hart (Mil - RF)
  6. (105) Joel Hanrahan (Pit - RP)
  7. (136) Jordan Walden (LAA - RP)
  8. (145) Shaun Marcum (Mil - SP)
  9. (176) Doug Fister (Det - SP)
  10. (185) Austin Jackson (Det - CF)
  11. (216) Delmon Young (Det - LF)
  12. (225) Russell Martin (NYY - C)
  13. (256) Mitch Moreland (Tex - 1B,RF)
  14. (265) Scott Downs (LAA - RP)
  15. (296) Zack Cozart (Cin - SS)
  16. (305) John Mayberry (Phi - 1B,LF,CF,RF)
  17. (336) Todd Helton (Col - 1B)
  18. (345) Javier Vázquez (Mia - SP)
  19. (376) Brian Fuentes (Oak - RP)
  20. (385) Iván Nova (NYY - SP)
  21. (416) Jason Bourgeois (KC - LF,CF,RF)
  22. (425) Ryan Theriot (SF - 2B,SS)
  23. (456) Hisashi Iwakuma (Sea - SP)
  24. (465) A.J. Burnett (Pit - SP)

I thought about making Burnett my Mr. Irrelevant, and probably should have – that’s a great gamble pick. This is a really great team – you made a lot of picks I should have, and put yourself in position to be able to make those picks where I couldn’t. Pedroia and Beltre are fantastic in this league, and will be a solid base. Price starts off a rotation that is very competitive, but not at a high cost (Marcum was a steal, and Nova was robbery). I really like those Tiger outfielders, and at least one of them should produce in that lineup this season, if not both. Everything else was pure value. Old Man Helton (he was Tennessee’s QB before Peyton came to town!) was a pick I couldn’t make because my offense was full, and he’ll contribute solidly (if not every day). I think Vazquez is going to pull a Clemens, and come back to play sometime mid-season. He could pay off if you hold onto him.

The Colt .45s

  1. (15) Carlos González (Col - LF,CF,RF)
  2. (26) Álex Rodríguez (NYY - 3B)
  3. (55) Stephen Strasburg (Was - SP)
  4. (66) Lance Berkman (StL - 1B,LF,RF)
  5. (95) Paul Goldschmidt (Ari - 1B)
  6. (106) Ichiro Suzuki (Sea - RF)
  7. (135) Jesus Montero (Sea - Util)
  8. (146) Jemile Weeks (Oak - 2B)
  9. (175) Yadier Molina (StL - C)
  10. (186) Johan Santana (NYM - SP)
  11. (215) Jake Peavy (CWS - SP)
  12. (226) Francisco Liriano (Min - SP)
  13. (255) Antonio Bastardo (Phi - RP)
  14. (266) Rafael Furcal (StL - SS)
  15. (295) Eric O’Flaherty (Atl - RP)
  16. (306) Koji Uehara (Tex - RP)
  17. (335) Aubrey Huff (SF - 1B,RF)
  18. (346) David Murphy (Tex - LF,CF,RF)
  19. (375) Rajai Davis (Tor - CF,RF)
  20. (386) Tony Sipp (Cle - RP)
  21. (415) Aaron Crow (KC - RP)
  22. (426) Kyle Kendrick (Phi - SP,RP)
  23. (455) Kevin Gregg (Bal - RP)
  24. (466) LaTroy Hawkins (LAA - RP)

Youth and age. There’s like only two in-their-prime players on this team (CarGo and Davis)! However, there are things to really like here. Strasburg could be a 3rd round steal – he reminds me of taking Prior in the 4th round back in 2003 and riding him to the championship. Paired up with the trio of Santana/Peavy/Liriano, and this could be extremely dangerous for the rest of the league. It could also completely blow up. I instantly regretted my Cuddyer pick when I saw Berkman off the board – solid value, and shows the adjustment that needs to be made in an OBP/SLG league. I think Goldschmidt was a reach, but he could turn out the same way – another Adam Dunn without having to actually draft Adam Dunn. You did a great job picking up really solid Holds pitchers, and didn’t pay the premium the Saves folks did. Ichiro’s numbers are bound to improve with his move in the lineup – fewer slap hits and more patience – you could even see a little more power out of him. I just don’t know what to think about A-Rod – I think there were better 3Bs on the board at the time with a little safer upside. But the rest will be fun to watch to see how it all adds up. (Is LaTroy Hawkins really still active?)

Isotopes

  1. (14) Evan Longoria (TB - 3B)
  2. (27) Cliff Lee (Phi - SP)
  3. (54) Jay Bruce (Cin - RF)
  4. (67) Eric Hosmer (KC - 1B)
  5. (94) John Axford (Mil - RP)
  6. (107) Carl Crawford (Bos - LF)
  7. (134) Chris Young (Ari - CF)
  8. (147) Anibal Sánchez (Mia - SP)
  9. (174) Erick Aybar (LAA - SS)
  10. (187) Torii Hunter (LAA - RF)
  11. (214) Mark Trumbo (LAA - 1B,RF)
  12. (227) Matt Thornton (CWS - RP)
  13. (254) Gordon Beckham (CWS - 2B)
  14. (267) Clay Buchholz (Bos - SP)
  15. (294) Kurt Suzuki (Oak - C)
  16. (307) Fernando Salas (StL - RP)
  17. (334) John Danks (CWS - SP)
  18. (347) Bobby Abreu (LAA - LF,RF)
  19. (374) Jonathan Sánchez (KC - SP)
  20. (387) Garrett Jones (Pit - 1B,RF)
  21. (414) Luke Gregerson (SD - RP)
  22. (427) Matt Harrison (Tex - SP)
  23. (454) José Veras (Mil - RP)
  24. (467) Willie Bloomquist (Ari - SS,LF)

This team has a tremendous amount of upside picks. Can Jay Bruce become the stud he’s supposed to have been? Will Hosmer live up to even a fraction of his hype? Will Carl Crawford stop sucking the life out of Fenway? Will that trio of Angels contribute enough to make this team competitive? I think the rate stats just aren’t there – OBP/SLG/ERA/WHIP are all going to suffer, and the studs won’t be able to prop things up enough to make up the difference. There’s some good hole-filling talent at the end, but nothing that’s going to rise up and blow anyone away.

The Brown Worms

  1. (13) Justin Verlander (Det - SP)
  2. (28) José Valverde (Det - RP)
  3. (53) J.J. Putz (Ari - RP)
  4. (68) Brandon Phillips (Cin - 2B)
  5. (93) Yu Darvish (Tex - SP)
  6. (108) Drew Stubbs (Cin - CF)
  7. (133) Melky Cabrera (SF - LF,CF)
  8. (148) Jhonny Peralta (Det - SS)
  9. (173) Sergio Santos (Tor - RP)
  10. (188) Ryan Roberts (Ari - 2B,3B)
  11. (213) Tyler Clippard (Was - RP)
  12. (228) Chris Iannetta (LAA - C)
  13. (253) Jair Jurrjens (Atl - SP)
  14. (268) Mike Carp (Sea - 1B,LF)
  15. (293) Gavin Floyd (CWS - SP)
  16. (308) Mike Leake (Cin - SP)
  17. (333) Jon Jay (StL - LF,CF,RF)
  18. (348) Tim Stauffer (SD - SP)
  19. (373) Chone Figgins (Sea - 3B)
  20. (388) Nick Hundley (SD - C)
  21. (413) Juan Pierre (Phi - LF)
  22. (428) Edward Mujica (Mia - RP)
  23. (453) Mark Ellis (LAD - 2B)
  24. (468) Darwin Barney (ChC - 2B)

Oh boy. Where to start? I’m going to guess there was a massive pre-ranking error that occurred somewhere that made Valverde and Putz anywhere close to the Top 100 picks, let alone 2nd and 3rd rounders. After that, things calm down – Phillips was great value, Darvish could be the return of Nomo, and Stubbs might round out to a 5 or 6 category player. There’s plenty of excess to trade off if you need to upgrade your outfield (which really needs some help), since 3 closers is usually a closer too many in this league. Your top power producer was Jhonny Peralta last year – with 21 HRs. Now, Carp and Phillips certainly have more pop in them, but you’ll have some ground to cover. Your rotation is pretty solid – it’s hard to not be with Verlander. But Jurrjens, Leake and Floyd are excellent late round picks. Things could turn around a bit if Pierre finds a team to play for, but that’s not looking likely right now.

Out On Waveland

  1. (12) Prince Fielder (Det - 1B)
  2. (29) Mark Teixeira (NYY - 1B)
  3. (52) Michael Morse (Was - 1B,LF)
  4. (69) Joe Mauer (Min - C,1B)
  5. (92) Ian Kennedy (Ari - SP)
  6. (109) Matt Garza (ChC - SP)
  7. (132) Michael Pineda (NYY - SP)
  8. (149) Yoenis Céspedes (Oak - CF)
  9. (172) Jason Motte (StL - RP)
  10. (189) Max Scherzer (Det - SP)
  11. (212) Joe Nathan (Tex - RP)
  12. (229) Aaron Hill (Ari - 2B)
  13. (252) Jonathan Broxton (KC - RP)
  14. (269) Eric Thames (Tor - LF,RF)
  15. (292) Mike Aviles (Bos - 2B,3B,SS)
  16. (309) Will Venable (SD - CF,RF)
  17. (332) Travis Hafner (Cle - Util)
  18. (349) Kerry Wood (ChC - RP)
  19. (372) Jake McGee (TB - RP)
  20. (389) Jack Hannahan (Cle - 3B)
  21. (412) Marlon Byrd (ChC - CF)
  22. (429) Casey McGehee (Pit - 3B)
  23. (452) Josh Reddick (Oak - LF,RF)
  24. (469) Brett Anderson (Oak - SP)

You were bitching about drafting too many 1Bs, but that’s never really a big issue in this league, where you can cram 3 of them onto your roster. Hafner may “clog” up the Util, but he’ll do it with a .350+ OBP and some pop (when he’s in the lineup). Mauer in the 4th is never a bad thing, especially if he sees more time at 1B this year. He may not steal anymore, and his power is pretty much non-existent, but he’s everyday, and he’s always on base with extra-base hits. You created a solid rotation pretty quickly – and depending on if Pineda can rediscover his velocity, it’s pretty potent. Tons of relief potential as well, balanced with Saves and Holds make it extremely tradeable as well. As much as I’d love to see Aviles do really well (and he has the talent), it doesn’t seem Bobby Valentine agrees – he seems pretty set on Iglesias. Too bad, that’s really good flexibility. Cespedes does have the starting spot, but no one really knows what he’ll do. Pick #149 seems about right to take that chance, especially with all that power already compiled, you can afford a guy who just gets on base and scores.

The Cougars

  1. (11) Justin Upton (Ari - RF)
  2. (30) Giancarlo Stanton (Mia - RF)
  3. (51) Dan Uggla (Atl - 2B)
  4. (70) Mariano Rivera (NYY - RP)
  5. (91) Adam Wainwright (StL - SP)
  6. (110) Freddie Freeman (Atl - 1B)
  7. (131) David Freese (StL - 3B)
  8. (150) Ian Desmond (Was - SS)
  9. (171) Carlos Mármol (ChC - RP)
  10. (190) Álex Ríos (CWS - CF)
  11. (211) Derek Holland (Tex - SP)
  12. (230) Yonder Alonso (SD - LF)
  13. (251) Grant Balfour (Oak - RP)
  14. (270) Wilson Ramos (Was - C)
  15. (291) Justin Smoak (Sea - 1B)
  16. (310) Aroldis Chapman (Cin - RP)
  17. (331) Plácido Polanco (Phi - 3B)
  18. (350) Jeff Niemann (TB - SP)
  19. (371) Homer Bailey (Cin - SP)
  20. (390) Maicer Izturis (LAA - 2B,3B,SS)
  21. (411) Jim Thome (Phi - Util)
  22. (430) Octavio Dotel (Det - RP)
  23. (451) Skip Schumaker (StL - 2B,RF)
  24. (470) Laynce Nix (Phi - 1B,LF,RF)

I don’t see any holes here. You don’t have tons of speed, but SBs are always available somewhere. Your power is really impressive, and you didn’t overspend on any of the potential in this lineup (and guys like Freeman and Freese can only get better). I don’t think any of the final five are ever going to see daylight, but who cares? I think the only big question mark is Derek Holland – I think he was too much of a reach as you were probably getting desperate for starters. But I’m not sure having 4 or 5 good-to-great SPs is necessary in this league, and you have a good set of relievers around them to support your rate stats. Chapman could strike out 100 from the ‘pen by himself.

74

The rest either this afternoon or evening.

75

I’ll do my full write-up later, but I wanted to answer a couple of your points, because I knew they’d come up. When I saw where I was drafting (the third year in a row I’ve been at the tail end of the draft, so, Munch I feel your pain), I knew what I was going to have to do - I have something of a strategy for it. As everyone knows by now, I draft catchers early. It’s not because I really love them, it’s that I really, really, want a strong guy at the position who plays every day - I HATE having to figure out which catcher is playing on a given day - I just want to plug someone in and forget about him. If that guy happens to be an Indian, so much the better. :slight_smile: I didn’t intend to draft Choo, it just kind of happened, but I’m not unhappy with him, assuming he’s back to 100%.

Also, I always break early for closers. I knewthat I 100% wanted Kimbrel, and I had serious doubts that he’d get back around to me. There was nobody else on the board I wanted as much. Too early, yes. But, when you’ve got 30+ picks to wait, not pulling the trigger early can mean not getting the guy you want.

Apparently, Bloomberg Sports likes my team a whole lot better than I do. And, comparing the two, there are a lot of similarities between this team and my auction league team.

My stat goals were based on last year’s league, so my counting goals are high and I didn’t meet any of them (based on the projections I’m using), but I’m close on saves and Ks, and my pitching rate stats are better. I am way short on SBs as you point out (although, if they give Bernadina a green light, maybe not as bad as as it looks now), but I should be in the hunt for the others. My hitting rate stats suck - I don’t have a single guy expected to hit over .300 this season - in fact, my highest expected BA is .283, from Loney of all people. I’d just better hope for some career years from some of these guys. Maybe Mark Reynolds will learn to make contact.

76

I’ll do my full write-up later, but I wanted to answer a couple of your points, because I knew they’d come up. When I saw where I was drafting (the third year in a row I’ve been at the tail end of the draft, so, Munch, I feel your pain), I knew what I was going to have to do - I have something of a strategy for it. As everyone knows by now, I draft catchers early. It’s not because I really love them, it’s that I really, really, want a strong guy at the position who plays every day - I HATE having to figure out which catcher is playing on a given day - I just want to plug someone in and forget about him. If that guy happens to be an Indian, so much the better. :slight_smile: I didn’t intend to draft Choo, it just kind of happened, but I’m not unhappy with him, assuming he’s back to 100%.

Also, I always break early for closers. I knew that I 100% wanted Kimbrel, and I had serious doubts that he’d get back around to me. There was nobody else on the board I wanted as much. Too early, yes. But, when you’ve got 30+ picks to wait, not pulling the trigger early can mean not getting the guy you want.

Apparently, Bloomberg Sports likes my team a whole lot better than I do. And, comparing the two, there are a lot of similarities between this team and my auction league team.

My stat goals were based on last year’s league, so my counting goals are high and I didn’t meet any of them (based on the projections I’m using), but I’m close on saves and Ks, and my pitching rate stats are better. I am way short on SBs as you point out (although, if they give Bernadina a green light, maybe not as bad as as it looks now), but I should be in the hunt for the others. My hitting rate stats suck - I don’t have a single guy expected to hit over .300 this season - in fact, my highest expected BA is .283, from Loney of all people. I’d just better hope for some career years from some of these guys. Maybe Mark Reynolds will learn to make contact.

77

Ugh. Sorry for the double post. I’ve got a re-direct thing going on that gives me fits sometimes.

78

Iron Condors

  1. (10) Robinson Cano (NYY - 2B)
  2. (31) Pablo Sandoval (SF - 1B,3B)
  3. (50) Desmond Jennings (TB - LF,CF)
  4. (71) Michael Bourn (Atl - CF)
  5. (90) Dee Gordon (LAD - SS)
  6. (111) Daniel Hudson (Ari - SP)
  7. (130) Brian Wilson (SF - RP)
  8. (151) Martin Prado (Atl - 3B,LF)
  9. (170) Geovany Soto (ChC - C)
  10. (191) Jose Tabata (Pit - LF,RF)
  11. (210) Wandy Rodriguez (Hou - SP)
  12. (231) Trevor Cahill (Ari - SP)
  13. (250) Jose Altuve (Hou - 2B)
  14. (271) Alexi Ogando (Tex - SP)
  15. (290) Nyjer Morgan (Mil - LF,CF,RF)
  16. (311) Ryan Vogelsong (SF - SP)
  17. (330) Ryan Doumit (Min - C)
  18. (351) Ricky Nolasco (Mia - SP)
  19. (370) Scott Rolen (Cin - 3B)
  20. (391) Josh Collmenter (Ari - SP,RP)
  21. (410) Alex Gonzalez (Mil - SS)
  22. (431) Jonny Gomes (Oak - LF,RF)
  23. (450) Kosuke Fukudome (CWS - CF,RF)
  24. (471) Rick Ankiel (Was - CF,RF)

This is an offense built for speed, and not much else. I think Cano needs to be downgraded in a league like this, and Pedroia would have been a better #1 2B with his power and OBP abilities. However, Cano is tremendously consistent, so you can’t argue too much about it. I really like Panda, but there were plenty of 3Bs to take after the turn. However, if it had been me, I’d have been completely thrown off after Stanton was taken to think clearly. Jennings and Bourn make things interesting, but I think it’s a little overkill on speed. Jennings could be special though. The SPs are really hurting here, and will really depend on a lot of good luck to pay off. There are a lot of Ks at the expense of the ratios, so we’ll see how that works out. Nolasco has been more Jekyll than Hyde (or is it the other way around?), which needs to change for this to work.

rackensack diamonds

  1. (9) Jacoby Ellsbury (Bos - CF)
  2. (32) Tim Lincecum (SF - SP)
  3. (49) Brian McCann (Atl - C)
  4. (72) Kelly Johnson (Tor - 2B)
  5. (89) Jonathan Papelbon (Phi - RP)
  6. (112) J.J. Hardy (Bal - SS)
  7. (129) Ricky Romero (Tor - SP)
  8. (152) Carlos Pena (TB - 1B)
  9. (169) Dexter Fowler (Col - CF)
  10. (192) Matt Joyce (TB - LF,RF)
  11. (209) Daniel Murphy (NYM - 1B,2B,3B)
  12. (232) Alejandro De Aza (CWS - CF,RF)
  13. (249) Brandon McCarthy (Oak - SP)
  14. (272) Bryan LaHair (ChC - LF,RF)
  15. (289) Vinnie Pestano (Cle - RP)
  16. (312) Carlos Ruiz (Phi - C)
  17. (329) Casey Kotchman (Cle - 1B)
  18. (352) Ryan Ludwick (Cin - LF,RF)
  19. (369) Alfredo Aceves (Bos - SP,RP)
  20. (392) Jamey Carroll (Min - 2B,SS)
  21. (409) Jeff Samardzija (ChC - RP)
  22. (432) Brent Lillibridge (CWS - 1B,LF,CF,RF)
  23. (449) Wilson Betemit (Bal - 3B)
  24. (472) Joe Smith (Cle - RP)

This team angers me. I think it accomplishes a lot with the bare minimum. Guys like Kelly Johnson and JJ Hardy could be a big hit to your OBP while adding tons of power – but you balance that out with guys like Fowler, Murphy and DeAza who are just solid contributors. Ellsbury, Lincecum and McCann are a fantastic top 3. Quite a few upside picks in Kotchman and Ludwick that may not pan out, and your late round middle-relief-turned-SPs are a truly mixed bunch that could be giant busts, but at picks 369 and 409, who’s to complain?

Last Place

  1. (8) Adrian Gonzalez (Bos - 1B)
  2. (33) Felix Hernandez (Sea - SP)
  3. (48) Paul Konerko (CWS - 1B)
  4. (73) Alex Gordon (KC - LF)
  5. (88) C.J. Wilson (LAA - SP)
  6. (113) Matt Wieters (Bal - C)
  7. (128) Emilio Bonifacio (Mia - 3B,SS,LF,CF,RF)
  8. (153) Dustin Ackley (Sea - 2B)
  9. (168) Colby Rasmus (Tor - CF)
  10. (193) Kyle Farnsworth (TB - RP)
  11. (208) Javy Guerra (LAD - RP)
  12. (233) Angel Pagan (SF - CF)
  13. (248) J.D. Martinez (Hou - LF)
  14. (273) Allen Craig (StL - 2B,LF,CF,RF)
  15. (288) Chris Davis (Bal - 1B,3B)
  16. (313) Jesse Crain (CWS - RP)
  17. (328) Mark Melancon (Bos - RP)
  18. (353) Mike Minor (Atl - SP)
  19. (368) Santiago Casilla (SF - RP)
  20. (393) David DeJesus (ChC - CF,RF)
  21. (408) Randy Wolf (Mil - SP)
  22. (433) Phil Hughes (NYY - SP)
  23. (448) Mat Gamel (Mil - IF)
  24. (473) Felix Doubront (Bos - RP)

Another very solid team with few holes. The biggest risk is having quite a few players who are a slump away from being demoted (Davis, Rasmus, Martinez, Pagan, DeJesus), but I think you really got the best available at the top. Konerko always seems like a stretch, but he’s incredibly solid in this format. Wilson could be a Cy Young contender, and your relief (while a bit too saves-heavy for my taste) is deep. I like the Melancon and Minor picks – those will really pay off. Bonifacio and Gordon are real gems on this team, and I think you got bargains no both.

The Spirit of Shea

  1. (7) Joey Votto (Cin - 1B)
  2. (34) David Wright (NYM - 3B)
  3. (47) Mike Napoli (Tex - C,1B)
  4. (74) B.J. Upton (TB - CF)
  5. (87) David Ortiz (Bos - Util)
  6. (114) Mat Latos (Cin - SP)
  7. (127) Jason Kipnis (Cle - 2B)
  8. (154) Rafael Betancourt (Col - RP)
  9. (167) Lucas Duda (NYM - 1B,RF)
  10. (194) Sean Marshall (Cin - RP)
  11. (207) Josh Willingham (Min - LF)
  12. (234) Chris Sale (CWS - RP)
  13. (247) Bud Norris (Hou - SP)
  14. (274) Bryce Harper (Was - RF)
  15. (287) Justin Morneau (Min - 1B)
  16. (314) Cliff Pennington (Oak - SS)
  17. (327) Luke Hochevar (KC - SP)
  18. (354) Erik Bedard (Pit - SP)
  19. (367) Gerardo Parra (Ari - LF,RF)
  20. (394) Cody Ross (Bos - LF,CF,RF)
  21. (407) Clint Barmes (Pit - SS)
  22. (434) Ramon Ramirez (NYM - RP)
  23. (447) Jesus Guzman (SD - 1B,LF)
  24. (474) Matt Downs (Hou - 1B,2B,3B)

I love the hitters, really don’t like the pitchers. Those top 5 hitters are tremendous – people undervalued Ortiz, and I was hoping he’d fall. But 30 HRs and a near .400 OBP in the 5th round?!? Yeah – that’ll do. Couple big gambles – Kipnis hasn’t proven anything, Duda and Willingham may be better as platoon players, Morneau may never be the same, and Harper… well Harper was a great pick. It seems early, but the 14th round here is pick #274. That’s plenty late to take a stab. I think Latos is going to get bombed in Great American Ballpark, Norris is saddled with being in Houston, and the Hochevar/Bedard combo might get you 10 quality starts. But it could also get you 25 – so we’ll see.

Les Miserables

  1. (6) Ryan Braun (Mil - LF)
  2. (35) Ryan Zimmerman (Was - 3B)
  3. (46) Matt Holliday (StL - LF)
  4. (75) Yovani Gallardo (Mil - SP)
  5. (86) Adam Jones (Bal - CF)
  6. (115) Derek Jeter (NYY - SS)
  7. (126) Jordan Zimmermann (Was - SP)
  8. (155) Andrew Bailey (Bos - RP)
  9. (166) Ervin Santana (LAA - SP)
  10. (195) Jeremy Hellickson (TB - SP)
  11. (206) Ted Lilly (LAD - SP)
  12. (235) Chris Heisey (Cin - LF,CF,RF)
  13. (246) Brandon Belt (SF - 1B,LF)
  14. (275) Jim Johnson (Bal - RP)
  15. (286) Denard Span (Min - CF)
  16. (315) Lonnie Chisenhall (Cle - 3B)
  17. (326) Brian Roberts (Bal - 2B)
  18. (355) John Buck (Mia - C)
  19. (366) Henderson Alvarez (Tor - SP)
  20. (395) A.J. Pierzynski (CWS - C)
  21. (406) Brad Peacock (Oak - SP)
  22. (435) Matt Belisle (Col - RP)
  23. (446) Alberto Callaspo (LAA - 3B)
  24. (475) Corey Patterson (Mil - LF,CF,RF)

If your pitching doesn’t dominate, you don’t have too much hope here. You were complaining about taking Braun too early, but I think it’s a great pick. Braun, Zimmerman and Holliday are ideal in this league, but I think you left too many holes on offense as you were putting together that staff. I want Span to rebound, and Belt should be an excellent player (if he’d just get some playing time), but there’s not much room for error. I’ve always like Adam Jones, and he’s still a child, but his inability to take a pitch could make him a liability. Your top 3 should offset guys like him, but you may have to start watching matchups. What’s the word on Brian Roberts’ return?

Swisheriffic!

  1. (5) Troy Tulowitzki (Col - SS)
  2. (36) CC Sabathia (NYY - SP)
  3. (45) Hunter Pence (Phi - RF)
  4. (76) Jon Lester (Bos - SP)
  5. (85) Jason Heyward (Atl - RF)
  6. (116) Ike Davis (NYM - 1B)
  7. (125) Nick Swisher (NYY - 1B,RF)
  8. (156) Peter Bourjos (LAA - CF)
  9. (165) Mike Moustakas (KC - 3B)
  10. (196) Tim Hudson (Atl - SP)
  11. (205) Kenley Jansen (LAD - RP)
  12. (236) Justin Masterson (Cle - SP)
  13. (245) Matt Capps (Min - RP)
  14. (276) Alfonso Soriano (ChC - LF)
  15. (285) Pedro Alvarez (Pit - 3B)
  16. (316) Daniel Bard (Bos - RP)
  17. (325) Rafael Soriano (NYY - RP)
  18. (356) Devin Mesoraco (Cin - C)
  19. (365) Brad Lidge (Was - RP)
  20. (396) Luke Scott (TB - 1B,LF)
  21. (405) Eduardo Nunez (NYY - 2B,3B,SS)
  22. (436) Bartolo Colon (Oak - SP)
  23. (445) Brian Bogusevic (Hou - LF,RF)
  24. (476) Andruw Jones (NYY - LF,RF)

Yup. Yup yup yup. Going down the list, I like nearly every pick. Guys like Pence and Swisher were great picks, and they make gambles on Davis and Heyward extremely balanced. Any improvement in Heyward/Davis or even Bourjos will pay off huge. Then further down, guys like Soriano and Alvarez need to produce, but any two of those four puts you in contention. The pitching also stays solid – CC and Lester are a great 1-2, and while I don’t like Hudson, Masterson and Bard will be consistent. You took affordable closers, and backed them up with good Holds guys. Well done, I really like this.

the illest

  1. (4) Jose Bautista (Tor - 3B,RF)
  2. (37) Josh Hamilton (Tex - LF,CF)
  3. (44) Nelson Cruz (Tex - LF,RF)
  4. (77) Asdrubal Cabrera (Cle - SS)
  5. (84) Madison Bumgarner (SF - SP)
  6. (117) Tommy Hanson (Atl - SP)
  7. (124) Brandon Beachy (Atl - SP)
  8. (157) Brandon Morrow (Tor - SP)
  9. (164) Cory Luebke (SD - SP,RP)
  10. (197) Adam Dunn (CWS - 1B)
  11. (204) Ryan Dempster (ChC - SP)
  12. (237) Vladimir Guerrero (Bal - Util)
  13. (244) Stephen Drew (Ari - SS)
  14. (277) Dayan Viciedo (CWS - RF)
  15. (284) Chipper Jones (Atl - 3B)
  16. (317) Lance Lynn (StL - RP)
  17. (324) Salvador Perez (KC - C)
  18. (357) Omar Infante (Mia - 2B)
  19. (364) R.A. Dickey (NYM - SP)
  20. (397) Ryan Hanigan (Cin - C)
  21. (404) Chris Capuano (LAD - SP)
  22. (437) Casey Janssen (Tor - RP)
  23. (444) Hideki Matsui (Oak - LF)
  24. (477) Robert Andino (Bal - 2B,3B,SS)

Wow, look at all those pitchers. It could really pay off – if a couple of them bust out, they could make for some excellent trade bait, and fill in ALL those holes you have on offense. Wait – so Cruz goes to LF, Hamilton goes to CF, Bautista to RF, and Jones/Andino to 3B? You’re still a Util short, but you’ll dig one out somewhere. But everyone else on offense seems to be good picks. Dunn could be a complete disaster, but there has to be some regression back to the mean, right? Right…?

Tazmanian Devils

  1. (3) Matt Kemp (LAD - CF)
  2. (38) Cole Hamels (Phi - SP)
  3. (43) Starlin Castro (ChC - SS)
  4. (78) Howie Kendrick (LAA - 1B,2B,LF)
  5. (83) Buster Posey (SF - C)
  6. (118) Josh Johnson (Mia - SP)
  7. (123) Heath Bell (Mia - RP)
  8. (158) Neil Walker (Pit - 2B)
  9. (163) Adam Lind (Tor - 1B)
  10. (198) Danny Valencia (Min - 3B)
  11. (203) Jason Kubel (Ari - LF,RF)
  12. (238) Vernon Wells (LAA - LF,CF,RF)
  13. (243) Jhoulys Chacin (Col - SP)
  14. (278) Edwin Jackson (Was - SP)
  15. (283) Ben Revere (Min - LF,CF)
  16. (318) Francisco Cordero (Tor - RP)
  17. (323) Sean Rodriguez (TB - 2B,3B,SS)
  18. (358) David Hernandez (Ari - RP)
  19. (363) Kyle Lohse (StL - SP)
  20. (398) Miguel Olivo (Sea - C)
  21. (403) Jason Bartlett (SD - SS)
  22. (438) Domonic Brown (Phi - RF)
  23. (443) Scott Sizemore (Oak - 2B,3B)
  24. (478) Shelley Duncan (Cle - 1B,LF)

A 5th round Buster is a great value indeed. I had a 3rd round Buster last year, and it worked out tremendously (until he broke in half). I have a lot of questions about most of your offense – is Valencia a contributor in this league? Are you punting OBP with Lind and Wells? Will 12 HRs here and 16 HRs there add up enough to get you up the rankings? Your pitchers are fun – Hamels and Johnson will compete for the Cy Young this year. The rest are a bit more of a mixed bag, but they were great values for where you got them. All could really blow up (good), or they could really blow up (bad).

Piss in this Cup

  1. (2) Albert Pujols (LAA - 1B)
  2. (39) Jered Weaver (LAA - SP)
  3. (42) Elvis Andrus (Tex - SS)
  4. (79) Rickie Weeks (Mil - 2B)
  5. (82) Matt Moore (TB - RP)
  6. (119) Miguel Montero (Ari - C)
  7. (122) Logan Morrison (Mia - LF)
  8. (159) Coco Crisp (Oak - CF)
  9. (162) Brandon League (Sea - RP)
  10. (199) Chris Perez (Cle - RP)
  11. (202) Johnny Cueto (Cin - SP)
  12. (239) Edinson Volquez (SD - SP)
  13. (242) Chase Headley (SD - 3B)
  14. (279) Michael Brantley (Cle - LF,CF)
  15. (282) Vance Worley (Phi - SP)
  16. (319) Ryan Raburn (Det - 2B,LF,RF)
  17. (322) Brent Morel (CWS - 3B)
  18. (359) Raul Ibanez (NYY - LF)
  19. (362) Chad Qualls (Phi - RP)
  20. (399) Juan Rivera (LAD - 1B,LF,RF)
  21. (402) Marc Rzepczynski (StL - RP)
  22. (439) Eduardo Sánchez (StL - RP)
  23. (442) Matt Carpenter (StL - 3B)
  24. (479) Anthony Rizzo (ChC - 1B)

You can create a lot of flexibility for yourself by just drafting Albert Pujols. You went with best-available for most of the draft, and ended up with a really really good squad. If Volquez tanks, you’ll be hurt a little, but there’s so much solidity in Waver, Moore and Cueto that it won’t be that big of a hit. And you have great RPs to back that up if you need to lean on some ratio-boosters. Your offense seems to be all specialists, but none of them have question marks (well, except for those final pieces like Raburn, Brantley and Rivera – but we all have that). Vance Worley is a project that will pay off, even if you took him a few rounds early. But again, you had the depth and flexibility to allow that.

Frosted_Lightning

  1. (1) Miguel Cabrera (Det - 1B)
  2. (40) Zack Greinke (Mil - SP)
  3. (41) Dan Haren (LAA - SP)
  4. (80) Jimmy Rollins (Phi - SS)
  5. (81) Aramis Ramirez (Mil - 3B)
  6. (120) Andre Ethier (LAD - RF)
  7. (121) Gio Gonzalez (Was - SP)
  8. (160) J.P. Arencibia (Tor - C)
  9. (161) Jeff Francoeur (KC - RF)
  10. (200) Chase Utley (Phi - 2B)
  11. (201) Gaby Sanchez (Mia - 1B)
  12. (240) Jason Bay (NYM - LF)
  13. (241) Colby Lewis (Tex - SP)
  14. (280) Chad Billingsley (LAD - SP)
  15. (281) Grady Sizemore (Cle - CF)
  16. (320) Francisco Rodriguez (Mil - RP)
  17. (321) Ty Wigginton (Phi - 1B,3B,LF,RF)
  18. (360) Jonathon Niese (NYM - SP)
  19. (361) Ruben Tejada (NYM - 2B,SS)
  20. (400) Johnny Damon (TB - LF)
  21. (401) Derrek Lee (Pit - 1B)
  22. (440) Aaron Harang (LAD - SP)
  23. (441) Yuniesky Betancourt (KC - SS)
  24. (480) Guillermo Moscoso (Col – SP)

Well, you doomed yourself with that Betancourt pickup, so you might as well trade Cabrera off to me. One thing that these drafts tend to do is fall into halves. The first 13 picks here are awesome. Arencibia may be a bit of a gamble and Utley may never walk onto a field again, but everyone else was great value, fits in together really well, and gives you a solid head start on the competition. Lewis is an undervalued asset that could see even more improvement this year. But then the second half is something that would be making me sweat. Tejada will end up at 2B for you for most of the season, and he was the best available. Wigginton might end up with 2B eligibility at some point, so that may really help. You punted both saves AND holds, which never seems to work out (but you can always pick up Holds from the wire, and you’ll have the room to do it once Lee and Damon don’t find a team, and Betancourt is purged. It may not matter though, because that first half of your team is really frightening.

79

Yeah, this isn’t really my kind of team, but it’s what I ended up with due to how the draft went. I’d have rather been either a couple picks earlier (I liked the top six a half step more than Votto/Gonzo, and I’d have killed to get Bautista) or a couple picks later (think I could have gotten Gonzo at 9 or 10, would have been get happy to start with Longoria at 14).

The third base run in round 2 frustrated me a bit, both because I missed the two guys I’d have wanted out of it (Beltre and Sandoval) and because it set me up for 3B issues later in the draft - and that did end up being the most difficult spot for me to fill, and the one I’m least happy with.

I went closer a little earlier than I have in the last couple years, for a couple of reasons: we were thinning out on closers FAST this year, and the guys I wanted in both of those rounds were taken immediately before my pick (Joyce, which I really love in round 10, and Willingham, who was the best OF left on the board by a decent bit in round 11). The flip side of that is that I missed out on the elite MRs that I’ve been getting recently. I’m happy with who I did end up with, but the ratios and K rates are only Good, not Great, in reliever terms.

I prefer Underrated Boring Old Guys to Young Guys With Talent Who Might Be, but I got a lot more of the latter this year, and only Konerko really fits into the former.

I will say that I’m unreasonably excited about the potential of Allen Craig, once he gets healthy, with that position eligibility list.

80

[QUOTE=Some Idiot]
As much as I’d love to see Aviles do really well (and he has the talent), it doesn’t seem Bobby Valentine agrees – he seems pretty set on Iglesias. Too bad, that’s really good flexibility.
[/QUOTE]
The Sox just sent Iglesias down - that Aviles pick is excellent.