Loyal
readers of this blog (all 11 of you) will recall that I used to
write periodically about my fantasy baseball team.
Why haven’t I done it yet this season? To put it simply, no one other than
myself and the nine other people in my keeper league give a shit about it.
Nevertheless, I feel compelled to post a ranking of all 35 players currently on
my team. We’ll be able to keep 10 players after this year, so the top 10 are
the players I would keep if the season ended right now. Just for a refresher,
here are the basic league rules and notes.
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The price of a keeper player is forfeiting whichever draft
pick was used on that player originally (with a tax and players who’ve been
kept 2+ years, but we don’t need to get into that).
-
We kept 5 after last season, 10 after this year, and will be
keeping 15 after 2013 and every year after that.
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I won the league last year thanks to good fortune during the
first half of the season, and a flurry of trades halfway through the season. I
was able to acquire Robinson Cano and Evan Longoria via trade, and added an
arsenal of pitchers just before the trade deadline. One of the 10 most
incredible things I’ve ever accomplished was successfully completing four
trades in one day in the same league.
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Before this year, I kept Robinson Cano, Evan Longoria, Prince
Fielder, Giancarlo Stanton, and Desmond Jennings.
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Shortly after the season started, I was able to move Johnny
Cueto and Jose Valverde for Nelson Cruz (lost that trade so far), and then
swapped Desmond Jennings and Ian Kennedy for Ryan Braun (won that trade big
time).
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Around the start of summer, I was able to acquire Buster Posey
and Cliff Lee in two separate deals.
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Last year, my starting pitching was led by Cole Hamels, James
Shields (career year in 2011), Tommy Hanson, Michael Pineda, and Gio Gonzalez.
Pineda is the only one of them I was able to get back in the draft, and he’s
been stuck on the DL all year. I’ve been punting ERA and WHIP all season. If my
offense doesn’t show up, I lose.
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Last year my team was loaded with minor league prospects.
Brett Lawrie, Mike Moustakas, Jacob Turner, and Kyle Gibson were all used to
sweeten blockbuster trades, while Eric Hosmer was a nice boost out my utility
spot. This year? Not so much. Anthony Rizzo was the only big name I was able to
move (in the Cliff Lee trade), but it’s fair to say that Rizzo would’ve been
more valuable now than he was when I shipped him out. Trevor Bauer came up
after great anticipation, stunk up the joint, and has since been shut down to
rest. Dealing with prospects is a fickle mistress.
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I forgot Adam Jones was on my team last year.
After the primer, here are the
ranks.
35. Lance Berkman, 1B-OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Picked
up the old guy for some bench depth. Not a chance he’s kept for 2013.
34. Travis Blackley, SP, Oakland Athletics
I
wouldn’t know who Travis Blackley was if he came into my house with a t-shirt
that read, “Hi, my name is Travis Blackley.” He’s filling a spot until a couple
of my DL guys come back.
33. Julio Teheran, SP, Atlanta Braves
It
feels like Teheran has been Atlanta’s top pitching prospect for 10 years.
32. Bobby Parnell, RP, New York Mets
31. Frank Francisco, RP, New York Mets
Parnell
is only on board until Francisco returns from the DL. I don’t pay for saves,
especially from erratic relievers.
30. Carlos Marmol, RP, Chicago Cubs
If
you read the previous paragraph carefully, you’ll know why Marmol is ranked at
30.
29. Erik Bedard, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
A
brittle pitcher his entire career, Bedard has been shockingly healthy all
season long for the resurgent Pirates. He throws out some stinkers, but his K
rate is good enough to warrant keeping him around this season.
28. Brandon McCarthy, SP, Oakland Athletics
He’d
be ranked in the top-15 if he could stay healthy for more than a month at a
time.
27. Felix Doubront, SP, Boston Red Sox
Hey,
at least he’s better than Jon Lester.
26. Steve Cishek, RP, Miami Marlins
The
best reliever that is apart of Miami’s “closer-by-committee”, Cishek will be in
line for even more saves if Heath Bell is shipped out of town.
25. Jacob Turner, SP, Miami Marlins
The
top prospect acquired by Miami when they shipped Annabel Sanchez to the Tigers,
Turner should be back up in the majors after the trade deadline.
24. Michael Pineda, SP, New York Yankees
Best
known as “the guy with the bum arm that Seattle was able to pawn off on the
Yankees for Jesus Montero”, Pineda should be at full strength for the start of
2013.
23. J.J. Putz, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Since
reinforcement is the key to learning, I’ll say it again… I won’t pay for saves.
22. Trevor Bauer, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
The
top pitching prospect in the majors, Bauer had some issues with control in his
first few MLB starts, and has now been given a break to rest his arm. Hopefully
he’s back in the Diamondbacks rotation in September.
21. Daniel Murphy, 1B-2B-3B, New York Mets
Murphy
is the kind of unsung guy that can boost your team to a fantasy championship.
He’s not flashy, but he’s a solid .300 hitter that can fill in three infield
spots. Due to Evan Longoria’s health issues, he’s played a lot at 3B.
20. Wil Myers, C-OF, Kansas City Royals
Myers
is the top minor league prospect left on No Cred At All, but unfortunately
doesn’t have an open spot in the Royals outfield. Not to mention that he’s 0
for his last 80 in Triple-A.
19. Emilio Bonifacio, 2B-3B-SS-OF, Miami Marlins
No
Cred’s swift army knife, Bonifacio racks up the steals whenever he is in the
lineup.
18. Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates
Alvarez
is an all or nothing slugger who if he ever figures it out, has the potential
to be a 40-homer a year player.
17. Colby Rasmus, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
I
drafted Rasmus last year, traded him before last year’s deadline, and then was
able to scoop him up off waivers this season. He’s streaky, but when he’s hot,
he can single-handedly win a week.
16. Jonathan Papelbon, RP, Philadelphia Phillies
No
Credentials still won’t pay for saves, but Papelbon is my all-time favorite Red
Sox reliever, so we’ll pay him some respect and put him inside the top-20.
15. Trevor Cahill, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Cahill
would be much better off if he didn’t have to pitch in Arizona, which is a
problem when he plays for the Diamondbacks.
14. Nelson Cruz, OF, Texas Rangers
Acquired
early in the season, Cruz has been the biggest disappointment for No
Credentials.
13. Jonathan Niese, SP, New York Mets
The
fact that Niese ranks this high on my list makes me seriously doubt my team’s
championship chances this year.
12. Phil Hughes, SP, New York Yankees
After
a miserable 2011, Hughes has rebounded to have a serviceable season. He’d be a
shoe-in for the top-10 if he could figure out how to stop giving up gopher
balls.
11. Matt Moore, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
Moore
has unquestioned stuff, and recently has figured out how to more consistently
throw strikes. A strong final two months by Moore will easily push him into the
top-10.
10. Cliff Lee, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
I
made a trade for Lee in early June, which means my team has collected 100% of
his wins this season. Unfortunately, that only amounts to one. No Credentials
is cheering hard for a panic trade to the Rangers.
9. Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Cleveland Indians
Figured
he’d be just a one-year rental, but Choo’s success in the leadoff spot has
pushed him ahead of Nelson Cruz on the outfield depth chart.
8. James McDonald, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
The
waiver wire pick-up of the year for No Credentials, McDonald has been the lone
ray of consistency in the No Credentials starting rotation. He’s hit a rough
patch since the All-Star break, but look for him to bounce back soon for the
resurgent Pirates.
7. Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas Rangers
Andrus
was the one player that I absolutely had to draft this year, and was fortunate
to get him at the start of the fourth round with my first available draft pick.
An improved eye at the plate has allowed Andrus to post a career high .370
on-base percentage. Incredibly he’s playing his fourth season in baseball, and
he’s only 23 years old.
6. Buster Posey, C-1B, San Francisco Giants
Posey was a
mid-season trade acquisition (which the other team received among other things,
Ted Lilly, who I’m pretty sure made exactly one start for his new team. Sorry
Ethan) who solidified the poop sandwich I was rolling out at catcher every
night.
5. Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Miami Marlins
Stanton
was having a breakout campaign before a balky knee sidelined him until sometime
in August.
4. Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays
An
RBI machine in April, Longoria tore his hamstring and hasn’t seen the field
since. A return this week will be a welcome pick me up.
3. Prince Fielder, 1B, Detroit Tigers
Hasn’t
cranked out the normal amount of dingers, but Fielder has done everything else
in his first season with the Tigers. To think that I almost ditched him and
kept Eric Hosmer for 2012. Yikes.
2. Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
It
doesn’t really make sense how Ryan Braun ended up on my team, but let me run
through the details. Before the season, the owner that had the rights to him
chose not to keep him (which at the time seemed laughable, but the player he
kept instead was Mike Trout, which only cost a thirtieth round pick. That
decision worked out). My friend Ethan won the first overall pick in our
preseason draft lottery (don’t ask), and wisely used it on Braun. Unfortunately
for him, either alcohol or foolhardiness caused him to trade Braun to me for
Desmond Jennings and Ian Kennedy. That’s right, an outfielder who’s barely hitting
.240 and a pitcher who’s thrown up a mediocre 4.20 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. In
defense of him, Jennings was a fourth round pick in redraft leagues that he
would be able to keep at the price of a thirtieth round pick n year, and
Kennedy was one of the best ten pitchers in baseball last year. Needless to
say, Braun has been the MVP of No Cred At All. Without him, we never would’ve
survived the early season struggles of Fielder and Robinson Cano.
1. Robinson Cano, 2B, New York Yankees
Cano hasn’t been better than Braun this season, but
he’s far and away the top second baseman in baseball. The difference in value
between Cano and the tenth best 2B is much greater than the difference between
the top first baseman and the tenth best 1B.
