SOSH Real Fantasy Draft: Draft Order, Rules, and Draft Thread

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DanoooME

above replacement level
SoSH Member
Mar 16, 2008
19,831
Henderson, NV
Varmint Cong Team in Review:
 
Rickie Weeks - 2B - R (30)
Eric Hosmer - 1B - L (23)
Mike Trout - CF - R (21)
Carlos Santana - C - S (27)
Josh Willingham - LF - R (34)
Hunter Pence - RF - R (29)
Chris Carter - DH - R (26)
Emilio Bonifacio - 3B - S (27)
Dee Gordon - SS - L (24)
 
Bench
Juan Diaz - UIF - S (24)
Adam Lind - 1B/DH - L (29)
Franklin Gutierrez - 4th OF - R (30)
Bryan Anderson - C - L (26)
 
I have one of those plug and play lineups like Ralph Houk used to love, play them 150+ games and rarely change the lineup.  If Lind would show some signs of life, he might get in more at DH, but Diaz is a clear glovely utility guy, Gutierrez is a true 4th OF with great defensive chops, so he'll likely get into 100 games with 180 PAs being a frequent defensive replacement for Willingham (with Trout moving to LF and Gutierrez in CF).  Anderson will give Santana some time off against tough righties as Santana tears apart lefties.  The team definitely leans right, so the opposition will try to avoid throwing lefties at us if they can.  The defense is more meh than I intended, the only standout being Hosmer, at the least important defensive position.  I focused on OBP as much as possible and guys that were relatively young, but didn't have to be 20 year olds.
 
Rotation
Tim Lincecum - R (28)
Lance Lynn - R (25)
Phil Hughes - R (26)
Jorge DeLaRosa - L (32)
Carlos Carrasco - R (26)
 
60 Day DL - Casey Kelly - R (23)
 
Bullpen
Closer - Rafael Betancourt - R (37)
8th - Kenley Jansen - R (25)
7th - Joaquin Benoit - R (35)
LOOGY - Wesley Wright - L (28)
Middle - Brad Hand - L (23)
Long/Swingman - Miguel Gonzalez - R (28)
 
Obviously I'd have to pick up some replacement talent to toss into Kelly's spot on the 25 man.  I was trying pick up pitchers that were past the worst of the injury nexus (age 25-26 or older) and clearly with the Kelly pick it bit me in the ass when I did go younger (I expect Hand to blow out a ligament any day).  I don't really have an ace if Lincecum can't straighten out his problems, but I don't think there's an awful pitcher in the rotation.  Carrasco is a decent 5th.  The bullpen is strong from 1-4 then drops off a cliff.  Hopefully it works as well as the Sox' pen has worked so far.
 
I don't love my team, but I don't hate it either.  It's got some upside and it's going to need it competing with you sharks.
 

Rich Garces Belly

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 14, 2009
340
Am I up?  Cellar said to skip him, Papelbon hasnt been on in a while, and wibi said to skip him?  Im ready if I am indeed up.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,464
Okay that was a huge over draft of miller
Googling this thread tells me that Donnie veal is available. He kills lefties to the tune of a career. 466 OPS. I with a sub-200 SLG.
 
DONNIE VEAL RP
 

Fishercat

Svelte and sexy!
SoSH Member
May 18, 2007
8,266
Manchester, N.H.
Since we're posting teams, here's how mine shook out. I'm going to go with ideal lineups. In general, Headley's spot would be taken over by Aviles, and Granderson would be taken over by Kottaras (Guzman to RF, Kottaras to DH) or Bourgeois depending on RHP or LHP.
 
v. RHP:
 
1. Peter Bourjos - R - (CF)
2. Joey Votto - L - (1B)
3. Chase Headley - S - (3B)
4. Curtis Granderson - L - (RF)
5. Tyler Colvin - L - (LF)
6. Jhonny Peralta - R - (SS)
7. Kelly Johnson - L - (2B)
8. Jesus Guzman - R - (DH)
9. Russell Martin - R - (C)
 
Bench:
George Kottaras - L - (C)
Mike Aviles - R - (2B/3B/SS)
Jason Bourgeois - R - (OF/2B)
Jerry Hairston Jr. - R - (IF/OF)
 
Note: This lineup and catcher situation would be pretty fluid dependent on what kind of pitchers my team would be playing in the future. If I have a few LHP coming on the docket, Kottaras is probably grabbing a couple starts at catcher. If we have a slew of RHP coming, Kottaras would get more DH time. I don't think I can realistically run a catcher platoon (righty/lefty) with a young staff, so Kottaras might be forced in v. LHP sometimes as well.
 
Thoughts: I'm pretty happy with how the lineup turned out. I feel like over the starting nine, I only really reached for Headley, and with how the 3B market turned out that may not be the worst thing. Votto-Headley-Granderson is one of the scarier trios and I think everyone in this lineup except Russell Martin can do some damage v. RHP. Martin is there primarily for his framing/defense and won't be much help v. RHP.
 
Additionally, this lineup has a more appealing bench construction than my other lineup. Both Aviles and Bourgeois are capable PH's against a LOOGY coming in, and Hairston gives me a lot of flexibility as well. On the downside, the order itself is very vulnerable to a LOOGY, so maybe I would have to adjust that a bit later on.
 
v. LHP
 
1. Peter Bourjos - R - (CF)
2. Jesus Guzman - R - (DH)
3. Joey Votto - L - (1B)
4. Chase Headley - S - (3B)
5. Russell Martin - R - (C)
6. Curtis Granderson - L - (RF)
7. Jhonny Peralta - R - (SS)
8. Mike Aviles - R - (2B)
9. Tyler Colvin - L - (LF)
 
Bench
Kelly Johnson - L - (2B)
George Kottaras - L - (C)
Jason Bourgeois - R - (2B/OF)
Jerry Hairston Jr. - R - (IF/OF)
 
Note: I'm guessing Johnson/Hairston and Bourgeois will see a lot of time in these lineups with injuries. Bourgeois might be good enough v. lefties to bench Colvin period if he's terrible and Aviles will have to cover 2B/SS/3B if one of those spots is hurt, so Johnson may have to sneak in.
 
Thoughts: I'm not as happy about this lineup. This was inevitable as two of my three strongest hitters are lefties, but I ended up with Russell Martin in the five hole which is terrifying. I think that this lineup may be stronger 1-9 in the sense that my weaker guys are righties and they get a boost from this, but it's more than offset by Voto/Granderson/Colvin all being lefties. Without seeing the other lineups, I still think my team is pretty solid on offense if my gut guys (Bourjos, Guzman, Colvin) pan out like I think they will. If two or more of those do not develop, my lineup is in trouble.
 
The turn around (7-2) is pretty vulnerable to RHP and in general, this lineup can be played around with by a good bullpen manager: a LOOGY and ROOGY could get through the lineup with only one switch. This isn't ideal but it seems like my best option.
 
The bench composition v. LHP is one of my bigger miscues. I have two backup 2Bs who have shown no proclivity to playing another infield position (can I teach Kelly Johnson something else?) and that leaves Hairston as the only versatile bench player v. LHP (and he's a bit of an Aviles clone). In retrospect, a slightly more versatile MI than Johnson would have served my roster better, but I'm bullish on Kelly Johnson if he's healthy. 
 
Defensive Thoughts:
 
I'm okay with it. Bourjos is a top flight defender, Martin's framing is among the best in baseball, and Votto/Headley both do good jobs at the corners. Granderson was an abject disaster in CF, but I think he can handle LF or RF at a playable level (if I'm wrong, he and Guzman can switch positions). The MI is disappointing, but I don't think Peralta and Johnson/Aviles will kill my team defense, and with my pitchers (lots of flyballers) having a good outfield is more important to me.
 
 
Rotation:
 
1. Jordan Zimmerman (R)
2. Mike Minor (L)
3. Derek Holland (L)
4. Hisashi Iwakuma (R)
5. Henderson Alvarez (R)
 
Ugh. Looking at the other rotations has made me happier since there are some other ones with big question marks, but it's hard to be happy about this. For 2013, my upside is a #1/2 (Zimmermann), three #3's (Minor, Holland, Iwakuma), and maybe a #5 (Alvarez). This was the area where I am willing to sacrifice a bit for now in order to be better in the future. 
 
My plan for this is that the first four spots are locked in. Iwakuma was a very nice SP last year and I was happy to get him that late. Holland and Minor deserve their spots and while I don't expect either to light up the world, I expect both to be solid SPs. JZ is JZ. Alvarez is getting the provisional #5 spot because Dylan Bundy isn't ready. I took Henderson Alvarez with the idea that he wouldn't be my permanent 5th SP, but rather that his particular skillset might make him into a useful RP. He has the velocity and stuff to be useful in a short-inning situation, and if he can continue what he was doing at the end of last year and in ST, he might even be a decent SP. Seemed like a worthwhile risk but he will slot in there for now.
 
Ideally, down the line, Dylan Bundy will slot into the upper part of this rotation (hopefully in the rotation by 2014 and #3 by 2015). This would push Alvarez to the bullpen in the Aceves or Bundy role.
 
The rotation is my big area of uncertainty, you could tell me I'll have a Top 5 rotation in 2015 or the worst rotation in the league and I'd buy either result being possible.
 
Bullpen:
 
Closer: Joel Peralta (R)
Set-Up: Rex Brothers (L)
Middle Reliever: Mark Melancon (R)
Middle Reliever/ROOGY: Brad Ziegler (R)
Middle Reliever/LOOGY: Steve Delabar (R)
Long Relief/Swing: Alfredo Aceves (R)
Long Relief/Swing: Dylan Bundy (R)
 
One of the weaker bullpens in comparison, but I don't really think bullpen pitchers are that predictable. I put roles on them, but by and large my ideal bullpen would be all situational. For instance, if I was facing the bottom portion of Dannoo's lineup (Willingham, Pence, Carter...), Ziegler would come in whenever, damned the closer. The labels are there but I could easily see Peralta with 15 saves, Brothers with 10, Ziegler with 10, and Delabar with 5, for instance. Since I didn't want to spend premium picks on these guys, I aimed for guys who were really good at one or two things. Ziegler will be in for double plays, Brothers will be in for tough lefties, Delabar for slap-hitting righties, etc.
 
General Thoughts
 
Strengths:
 
  • My plan, once I got Votto, was to build an offense around that model. By and large, I think I succeeded. Most of my guys have a good walk rate, some real pop, and and can get on base. It's an offense that would make Jason Giambi proud. There will be lots of walks taken and working of the count, and outside of Bourjos, I think everyone in the lineup can hit the ball out of park enough to be a threat. I don't see many easy outs. There are other lineups I like more for the current term, but if my guys play like I think they can, they'll be potent.
  • The team is pretty varied in terms of age and I don't feel like I will have to replace any significant piece during this run for age purposes. Peralta and Hairston are old but almost everyone else falls into the mid-20's and early 30's wheelhouse. This might make my window 2014-2016 but I don't see age being a huge issue.
  • In general, outside of SP5, I think I avoided getting a really terrible player in any position of note among starting players, which is nice.
  • Best Pick: I would say Votto, but that one was handed to me. I was very excited with the trio of Iwakuma-Guzman-Aviles in R13-15. 
Weaknesses:
 
  • There are going to be a lot of pissed off fans when this team goes cold. We have some strikeout prone hitters who make their living more on the TTO scale than the contact scale. 
  • I don't have that many guys who hit both lefties and righties well. Votto and Headley do, and I don't think Bourjos or Peralta really show splits, but a lot of major splits on the others, which makes them prone to good, diverse bullpens in the late game.
  • Basestealing is really not going to happen often with this roster. Bourjos has speed but isn't a great baserunner and of my benchies, only Bourgeois is a good SB guy.
  • The rotation is very boom-bust and dependent on developing young players.
  • My OF defense is too dependent on Bourjos. Granderson is a big ? mark out there and Guzman/Colvin won't be running down everything. If he gets hurt or doesn't hit, it gives me some serious things to fix up, especially with a flyball heavy team.
  • Worst Pick: I think it has to be Dylan Bundy in the early 4th. In retrospect, I was between Lester, Gallardo, and him, and he was by far the riskiest of the three. I think he COULD be better than either of them, but I should have taken the legit #2 and gone from there. Too much of my planning centered around making sure he wouldn't be forced into starting too soon.
Predictions:
 
Even fully healthy, I don't see this as a playoff team in 2013. I think the WAR projections had it in the low 80's range when I last did them, and that seems about right now that this is finished. I would hope that the number would steadily rise as the older teams drop off and my guys would develop to where I'm a real contender in 2015-16 and possibly a run earlier than that. It's heavily dependent on what kind of players Peter Bourjos, Henderson Alvarez, Jesus Guzman, Dylan Bundy, and Tyler Colvin turn out to be.
 

PrometheusWakefield

Member
SoSH Member
May 25, 2009
10,441
Boston, MA
I like your rotation better than you do.  Minor has #2 at least maybe even fringe #1 potential I think, and Iwakuma was a great pick that I was totally going to make if he fell to me that round.  Alvarez was also a great deal given where he was picked.  
 

Rich Garces Belly

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 14, 2009
340
RGB selects Jake Diekman, RP  Phillies
 
Diekman is a lefty submarine guy who posted a 102 ERA+ in 2012 (only 27.1 innings).  In AAA in 2012 he posted a 1.69 ERA, 12.9 SO/9 and a 2.85 SO/BB, after being pulled up Diekman had a 11.5 SO/9 and only a 1.75 SO/BB.  Diekman is soli against lefties, with his low 90's fastball and high 70's slider.  His slider and fastball are major league ready and at the worst Diekman is a loogy.  At best the 26 year old becomes a setup man.
 
 
 

terrisus

formerly: imgran
SoSH Member
SumnerH said:
Terrisus, you maxed out the chart on RP.  Rather than add another column that's mostly empty, Pedro's listed as a BP (which is technically what your post said); obviously he'll mainly be a bench pitcher--we've all seen him try to bat.
 
Yup, that's what I had in mind anyway. Not like I was really expecting him to come out of the bullpen, or to do anything statistically off the bench, but, hanging out on the bench is a perfectly fine place - just glad to have him on my team.
 

czar

fanboy
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
4,312
Ann Arbor
Cory Burns - P
 

 
Had a 3.99 xFIP in limited time last year and was the 2nd best reliever in all of AAA by FIP last season.
 
More interestingly, I'm fascinated by a guy who throws his off-speed stuff 70% of the time. He's the epitome of "working backwards." Kind of a fun pick at the back of the pen.
 

Rich Garces Belly

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 14, 2009
340
Summer can you move Kozma to short, Segura to 2B, and Weeks to the bench.
 
My ideal lineup would be worth 5.2 runs per game and I was surprised by the order that it gave me:
 
1.)  Brandon Belt (L)  1B
2.)  Ryan Zimmerman (R)  3B
3.)  Domonic Brown  (L)  LF
4.)  Adam Jones  (R)  CF
5.)  Michael Morse  (R)  DH
6.)  Chris Parmelee (L)  RF
7.)  Jesus Montero  (R)  C
8.)  Jean Segura (R)  2B
9.)  Pete Kozma  (R)  SS
 
Bench-
Jemile Weeks  2B   (R)
Delmon Young LF/RF  (R)
Carlos Corporan C   (S)
Ian Stewart 1B/3B  (L)
Brandon Barnes  LF/CF/RF  (R)
 
I would probably do the lineup differently and I did not try putting Young in for Brown in a platoon, I was surprised to see that Brown was put in the 3rd spot as well.  I like my lineup, I just wish I had taken a lefty power hitter at some point in the draft.  My fourth round pick came down to Matt Harvey and Freddie Freeman, but I thought that either Reddick, Ike Davis, Granderson, or Avilla might fall to me in the 5th.  None did so I went with another righty bat in Montero (close over Lucroy) and hoped that Shelby Miller would come to me in the 6th, Czar took him (which would be a recurring theme to my team) so I went with Belt.  Overall for the 28th pick I think I have a lineup that is relatively young and has some real potential.  One other thing I wanted was to draft a center fielder so that I could move Jones to a corner, but I was never able to do that.  I also like my bench, Young can hit lefties, Weeks was solid in 2011 and is still young, Stewart is basically a lefty pinch hitter at this point, and Corporan and Barnes are solid defensive replacements.  In terms of fielding, I like the infield defense a lot, but the outfield leaves a lot to be desired.  
 
1.)  Jarrod Parker  (24)  (R)
2.)  Matt Harvey  (24)   (R)
3.)  Dan Straily  (24)    (R)
4.)  James McDonald  (28)   (R)
5.)  Jose Quintana  (24)    (L)
 
Long Man/ Spot Starter-  JA Happ  (L)
 
Bruce Rondon  (R)
Jose Veras    (R)
Craig Breslow  (L)
Carlos Marmol (R)
Jake Diekman  (L)
 
I like my starting pitchers, they are young and have shown promise.  As I mentioned earlier Czar kept stealing my pitchers.  I had a writeup all ready or Shelby Miller, czar took him.  I thought I would get AJ Griffin or Wei-Yen Chen, czar took both of them.  Again, with the 28th pick, my starting pitchers have a lot of potential and will enter their prime while the majority of my team is still in their prime.  I hate my bullpen though because of a lack of closer and too many pitchers that walk too many hitters.  The run on closers started after my pick and by the time it went all the way back to me, most teams had already drafted a closer and in some case 2, so I did the best I could going with a young closer in Rondon and then hoping that Veras or Marmol could be a competent closer.  If I could do it over I would have went with Grilli over Delmon Young, although that would have hampered my bench depth, although I do not really need another righty hitter.
 
All in all this was a fun exercise and I look forward to 3 years from now to see if my players are performing like I expected.  
 

PrometheusWakefield

Member
SoSH Member
May 25, 2009
10,441
Boston, MA
LJ Hoes, OF
 

Fast, good defensively, can cover all three outfield positions and potentially second base as well, enough offensive upside that he could be a quality player.  
 
Thanks for the whole experience everyone.  I learned a shitton from this thread. 
 

Hendu for Kutch

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 7, 2006
6,920
Nashua, NH
Let's give this a shot.  We'll start with the lineup.  All stats are 2011-2012 numbers.
 
vs. LHP:

1. Eric Young, CF            .290/.358/.395, 96 wRC+
2. Marco Sctuaro 2B            .301/.342/.397, 98 wRC+
3. Albert Pujols, 1B        .292/.342/.592, 150 wRC+
4. Jose Bautista            .279/.414/.564, 162 wRC+
5. Allen Craig, LF            .340/.368/.639, 175 wRC+
6. Carlos Quentin, DH        .311/.408/.568, 166 wRC+
7. Oscar Taveras, RF        .326/.401/.524 (MiLB)
8. Geovany Soto, C            .269/.362/.473, 128 wRC+
9. JJ Hardy, SS                .273/.332/.446, 108 wRC+

vs. RHP:

1. Eric Young, CF            .274/.358/.355, 88 wRC+
2. Marco Sctuaro 2B            .304/.356/.418, 106 wRC+
3. Albert Pujols, 1B        .292/.358/.509, 136 wRC+
4. Jose Bautista, 3B        .278/.413/.580, 167 wRC+
5. Allen Craig, LF            .297/.352/.488, 130 wRC+
6. Oscar Taveras, RF        .355/.407/.599 (MiLB)
7. Carlos Quentin, DH        .238/.334/.477, 122 wRC+
8. Jason Castro, C            .286/.373/.458, 126 wRC+
9. JJ Hardy, SS                .245/.282/.431, 89 wRC+
 
Top of the lineup: EY Jr. gives me an element of speed and good OBP at leadoff.  His wRC+ numbers show him as below average, but that's tied to his lack of power - which I could give two shits about in my lineup. He's on base and he's potentially distracting the pitcher.  Good and good.  Scutaro is the perfect #2 guy...always putting the ball in play as one of the hardest guys in MLB to strike out.  Has a slight reverse split but holds his own well against both lefties and righties.  Even has a little pop in his bat.  These two guys will work counts and take walks.  I like it.
 
The Meat™:  Pujols-Bautista-Craig.  Will put a hurting on righties.  Will rape, pillage, murder, and laugh at lefties.  I don't think I need to break them down much, they're really really good.
 
More Meat:  Quentin and Taveras aren't the sure things that "The Meat" are, but they're very good in their own right.  Quentin's questions are almost entirely injury-related.  If he's playing, he's hitting and walking.  Hopefully playing DH exclusively will keep him healthy.  Taveras' questions are all experience related - he ain't got none.  But he's pretty widely recognized as the best hitter in the minor leagues right now and on just about any other team he'd be starting in the majors today.  I would feel 100% comfortable dropping him into the lineup immediately.  Power, Average, patience, and hardly ever K's.  Ability to make solid contact on any pitch draw comparisons to Vlad Guerrero.  Quentin and Taveras flip-flop in the order depending on the opposing pitcher's handedness.
 
Bottom of the lineup:  I'm doing a strict platoon with the catchers.  Both have heavy platoon splits and as you can see by their numbers do very well against the happy sides of their platoon.  Granted, they won't exclusively get to hit that way due to relief pitcher usage, but if I can get a .750 OPS with strong OBP out of the pair by using them this way, that's more than awesome considering where I drafted them.  Hardy will hit 9th and hopefully pop about 20 HRs.  Anything more than that is a bonus, but I'm not expecting much else.
 
Bench:
 
Soto/Castro, C
Ryan Sweeney, LF/CF/RF
Reid Brignac, 2B/SS/3B
Ryan Wheeler, 1B/3B
 
Due to the heavy right-handedness of my lineup and the fact that I don't think I'll need to pinch hit much, I was looking for a couple of things on my bench.  First, I wanted positional flexibility so I could keep a short bench and stash an extra bullpen arm.  Second, I wanted to get a couple of lefties that could get the occasional start against RHP when one of my starters needs a day off.  I think I accomplished both.  Sweeney and Wheeler both hit RHP fairly well and can cover multiple positions.  Brignac plays all over, and with Scutaro handling 2B/SS/3B, Young handling 2B in a pinch, Bautista moving out to RF, Craig covering 1B and these bench guys, I've got a ton of options to move things around and cover whatever comes up.  Effectively, I go at least 3 guys deep at every position on the diamond other than catcher.
 
Defense:
 
I wasn't looking to build a web gem team, only a team that wouldn't kill me defensively.  I think I actually exceeded that.  I feel like I've got elite defense at 1B, SS, and RF.  Average defense at CF, 2B, and C.  Below average defense at 3B and LF.  I'd like to have left Bautista in RF, but the 3B well dried up very quickly and I think my team is better off taking the defensive hit at 3B and getting Taveras in the lineup.  Besides, Bautista would be sub-average in RF, so anywhere I play him I'm just reshuffling the deck chairs.  Sweeney is likely coming in for Craig if I need to protect a lead in the 9th.
 
Rotation: (stats are 2010-2012 ERA/xFIP)
 
1. Adam Wainwright           3.13/3.12
2. Homer Bailey                 4.09/3.84
3. Scott Baker                    3.90/3.73
4. Andrew Cashner            4.28/3.71
5. Vance Worley                3.50/3.83
6. Chris Capuano              4.10/3.84
7. Luke Hochevar              5.11/4.16
 
I hoped to come out of this exercise with one ace, and though some might disagree, I feel like I got the last one available in Wainwright.  Only Halladay and Lee have lower xFIPs this decade, and now that he's a year past TJ surgery, there aren't any red flags around his health or durability.  I do feel like I missed out on a really solid #2, but I feel like Bailey is a low end #2 or high end #3.  Baker and Worley are both solid but unspectacular guys who will keep you in ballgames at the back end of the rotation.  The true wildcard for me is Cashner.  If he hits, I've got my #2 guy with possible low-end #1 potential.  If he busts, he should still make a great high-lev reliever and Capuano slides into the #5 spot to join the "solid but unspectacular" brigade in front of him.  Hochevar is intended to be used as a long-man out of the 'pen with an eye on how his stuff plays up in shorter spurts, but he's the default #7 SP.
 
With Baker's TJ setback, Capuano starts the season in my rotation.  Overall, it's not everything I wanted but that should be expected given the focus on hitting I had.  Still, going 6 deep with xFIPs in the 3's should be good enough when paired with my O.
 
The Bullpen: (stats are 2010-2012 ERA, xFIP, and K/9)
 
Sean Marshall                 2.47/2.51, 10.4
John Axford                     3.04/2.98, 11.4
Aaron Crow                     3.13/3.29, 9.2
Jared Burton                   2.19/3.84, 7.6
Frank Francisco              4.20/3.50, 9.9
 
Marshall is the man.  Aside from Kimbrel, I'll put his overall numbers up against any reliever out there.  Tons of K's, tons of ground balls, tiny BB%.  Axford is a guy I felt a lot better about one week ago.  His peripherals last year all screamed "FLUKE!"...a few more walks, sure, but his HR/FB% spiked.  I figured there was a solid chance that comes back down to earth and he's dominant again.  But seeing him get bombed to start this season has me feeling iffy on that.  My original plan was to make Axford the closer and let Marshall be the relief ace, but I'm not so sure about that now.
 
Crow is great, nothing to complain about with him.  K's a guy per inning with a GB% over 50%.  Sort of a Sean Marshall-lite.  Burton is a guy who seems to be improving as he gets older.  His control has improved and he's K'ing more guys, although at a still relatively modest rate.  He's moved from a JAG to a legit late-inning option for the Twins, and I think he'll see the 6th/7th inning for my team.  Francisco?  He's potentially gasoline, but he can still K some guys and could be a useful option, thought not one I'd be excited about using.
 
What I'm happy about:
 
1. The lineup - sweet sweet run production.
2. The bullpen - Axford has me worried, but I think I've got enough high-lev depth that I can withstand it if he remains doused in gasoline.
3. The age distribution - Pujols and Bautista only have a few good years left in them, but if all goes well Taveras will be rising as they're declining, picking up some of that slack.  Overall the team has experience without being terribly old outside of Scutaro.
4. Positional flexibility - as mentioned, I'm at least 3-deep at every non-catcher spot on the field.
 
What I wish I could change:
 
1. 3B - I'd love a natural 3B to allow Bautista to move to the OF.
2. The rotation - I don't dislike it, per se, I just wish I had that really solid #2.  Come playoff time it could come back to bite me.
3. The location - I really picked Montreal based on an inside joke?  I'll be sold to MLB and all my players will be traded off by 2015.
 

MakMan44

stole corsi's dream
SoSH Member
Aug 22, 2009
19,363
I really like your team Hendu, I agree that you kind of need a number 2 but Cashner could be that guy if he pans out. Axford looks bad right now but it's only 7 games in
 

MakMan44

stole corsi's dream
SoSH Member
Aug 22, 2009
19,363
Rich Garces Belly said:
Also MakMan thanks for all your help with this, thanks for posting some of my picks and always taking my proxy.
No problem, I was happy to help
 

wibi

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
11,839
With my catchup pick I'll take
 
 
Cristhian Martinez

 
 
Doesnt have many swings and misses but gets a ton of groundballs and fits well into The Wibi's bullpen in situational relief
 

dylanmarsh

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
6,608
wibi said:
With my catchup pick I'll take
 
 
Cristhian Martinez

 
 
Doesnt have many swings and misses but gets a ton of groundballs and fits well into The Wibi's bullpen in situational relief
 
WTF?  Did you lose your rank?  Are you just "wibi", now?  Nothing more, nothing less?
 

MakMan44

stole corsi's dream
SoSH Member
Aug 22, 2009
19,363
dylanmarsh said:
 
WTF?  Did you lose your rank?  Are you just "wibi", now?  Nothing more, nothing less?
I asked this earlier and never got an answer.

Also, really digging his new avatar.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,464
That Montreal team will really mash for the next few years. Might struggle on road trips to Oregon though.
 

SMU_Sox

queer eye for the next pats guy
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2009
8,878
Dallas
Vs. LHP:
 
Avg/OBP/SLG/OPS/wOBA/wRC+
 
Troy Tulowitzki: .308/.389/.540/.929/.395/134
Alex Avila: .233/.328/.349/.677/.306/88
Kyle Blanks: .198/.305/.347/.652/.292/85
Johnny Giavotella: .225/.277/.342/.620/.273/68 (yeah, it sucks)
Jedd Gyorko: Too small of a sample size. He will do well against LHP, something like .280/.350/.475
Matt Joyce: .201/.288/.325/.613/.278/74
Josh Reddick: .237/.277/.473/.751/.319/103
Brett Gardner: .255/.361/.333/.695/.320/93
Michael Cuddyer: .288/.377/.499/.875/.376/131
Sandy Leon: Well he has a 256 wRC+ in 8 PA against LHP. Honestly he'll most likely be a 80+ guy against LHP and an upgrade from Avila.
James Loney: .248/.302/.355/.658/.291/77
Eduardo Escobar: .357/.386/.476/.863/.374/135 (SSS and BABIP fluke)
Chris Getz: .268/.313/.320/.632/.284/71
 
 
Vs. RHP:
 
Troy Tulowitzki: .288/.356/.494.849/.366/114
Alex Avila: .267/.365/.452.817/.356/122
Kyle Blanks: .227/.320/.451/.771/.338/116
Johnny Giavotella: .250/.268/.339/.607/.265/62
Jedd Gyorko: He will do less well against RHP, something like .250/.310/.420/.730
Matt Joyce: .264/.354/.494/.848/.363/131
Josh Reddick: .245/.320/.457/.778/.330/111
Brett Gardner: .266/.350/.377/.727/.327/99
Michael Cuddyer: .265/.325/.438/.764/.332/101
Sandy Leon: No idea - not big enough sample size - but he will not be batting against RHP as Avila has a 111 wRC+.
James Loney: .293/.351/.438/.798/.341/111
Eduardo Escobar: .175/.246/.194/.440/.207/20 (needless to say he won't be starting against RHP)
Chris Getz: .255/.315/.319/.633/.286/71
 
The lineup vs LHP:
Expected Runs: 4.93
 
1) Gardner CF
2) Tulo SS
3) Eduardo Escobar 2B or 3B
4) Jedd Gyorko 3B or 2B
5) Michael Cuddyer DH
6) Josh Reddick RF
7) Sandy Leon C
8) James Loney 1B
9) Kyle Blanks LF
 
So here is the deal... my lineup is a tad bit vulnerable against LHP. I'm hoping Leon, Escobar, and Blanks develop as good options against LHP. If they do I'm looking at over 5 runs a game against LHP. Plus my defense is extremely solid. I'd say that's easily a top 5 starting defense against LHP of the teams here.
 
 
Against RHP:
5.11 runs per game:
 
1) Avila C
2) Tulo SS
3) Loney 1B
4) Reddick RF
5) Joyce LF
6) Blanks DH
7) Gyorko 3B
8) Getz 2B
9) Gardner CF
 
And I have Cuddyer too to use.
 
My lineup does considerably well against RHP while still providing very good defense.
 
My rotation:
 
1) Yu Darvish
2) Jaime Garcia
3) Juan Nicasio
4) Niemann (when he gets back from his injury)
5) Whoever my front office thought won the Richards, Archer, Thornburg, Casey slot. I think Richards and Thornburg would be 4 and 5 with Niemann injured.
 
Closer: Al Alburquerque
Setup man: Henry Rodriguez
Loogy: Marc Rzepczynski
7th inning guy: Tony Watson
Chris Archer will be a long reliever who is going to be working on his 3rd pitch, changeup. He's a #2 starter if it develops. If not he will be my closer.
 

wibi

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
11,839
dylanmarsh said:
WTF?  Did you lose your rank?  Are you just "wibi", now?  Nothing more, nothing less?
 
 
MakMan44 said:
I asked this earlier and never got an answer.

Also, really digging his new avatar.
 
I could have sworn I answered your question earlier.
 
I requested to the powers that be that due to potential 4th wall issues I needed a name change or a new account and they were nice enough to grant my name change.  I had some specific circumstances that necessitated it otherwise I wouldnt have even asked.
 

MakMan44

stole corsi's dream
SoSH Member
Aug 22, 2009
19,363
Ah, that sucks man. Well I think between the new name and the snazzy new avatar you've got a pretty sweet new identity cooking 
 

MakMan44

stole corsi's dream
SoSH Member
Aug 22, 2009
19,363
I actually have only have a few more weeks of free time left. Then I graduate and get a step closer to the real world.

In the mean time, I'll reread the thread and weep at the shitty 2013 my team is bound to have
 

SMU_Sox

queer eye for the next pats guy
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2009
8,878
Dallas
I feel like I made multiple bad picks in Giavotella, Blanks, amd possibly Chris Archer. In the end I went for guys who might not make anything of themselves. Giavotella probably never realizes his potential. Blanks is a spare part at best. Archer needs another year if not more. My team still has an above average offense and a very good defense. The back end of our bullpen is solid and our first 3 starters are good. The problem is our 4 and 5 starters are likely to be crappy this year and the 5th to 7th bullpen arm could very well be below average.

I think the team will float around .500 due to runs and defense. But what will hold them b a ck from 89+ wins? Rotation depth and bullpen depth. My infield only has one good bat from both sides of the plate, Tulo. If he gets hurt everything falls apart.
 

soxfan121

JAG
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
23,043
SMU_Sox said:
I feel like I made multiple bad picks in Giavotella, Blanks, amd possibly Chris Archer. In the end I went for guys who might not make anything of themselves. Giavotella probably never realizes his potential. Blanks is a spare part at best. Archer needs another year if not more. My team still has an above average offense and a very good defense. The back end of our bullpen is solid and our first 3 starters are good. The problem is our 4 and 5 starters are likely to be crappy this year and the 5th to 7th bullpen arm could very well be below average.

I think the team will float around .500 due to runs and defense. But what will hold them b a ck from 89+ wins? Rotation depth and bullpen depth. My infield only has one good bat from both sides of the plate, Tulo. If he gets hurt everything falls apart.
 
I invoked the reverse jinx first. Ricky Romero.
 

Scoops Bolling

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 19, 2007
5,874
Rotation
1) Matt Harrison (L) (Age: 27)
2) Alex Cobb (R) (Age: 25)
3) Paul Maholm (L) (Age: 30)
4) Bud Norris (R) (Age: 28)
5) Jake Westbrook (R) (Age: 35)
 
While this group may not have a true "ace", every single guy is a dependable option who has shown the ability to produce at an elite level for stretches. With the exception of Westbrook, these guys are all in their primes, and they all have a clean injury history while having passed the injury nexus. With the exception of Norris, they are all strong ground ball pitchers who will benefit from the superior infield defense on my squad. Overall, while the top of this rotation may not be as strong as some others, I'm willing to stack it against anyone in terms of total talent...there's not a single guy here I'm not comfortable handing the ball to 30+ times in a year.
 
Bullpen
Closer: Greg Holland (R) (Age: 27)
Set Up: Jake McGee (L) (Age: 26)
Set Up: Jason Grilli (R) (Age: 35)
Middle Relief: Shawn Tolleson (R) (Age: 25)
Middle Relief: Phillippe Aumont (R) (Age: 24)
Long Relief: Will Smith (L) (Age: 23)
Long Relief: Kameron Loe (R) (Age: 31)
 
This is probably the strongest position group on my team. The top three of Holland, McGee, and Grilli is just unfair, as all 3 of those guys rank among the top relievers in baseball, and they should be able to handle the majority of high leverage situations among them. The middle relief combination of Tolleson and Aumont is less proven, but both guys have set up caliber upsides, and I can ease them into high leverage situations over time given the talent in front of them. Kameron Loe is a proven innings eater who can also get a groundball when needed, while Will Smith is probably the 5th starter of the future...but for now, he's an excellent 6th starter, and a guy who's stuff may well play up in the pen while he waits for that opportunity.
 
Overall, I'm quite happy with this pitching staff. Every starter gives the team a chance to win on a given day, and every member of the bullpen can contribute...none of these guys have to be devoted to "mop up" duties only. There's no gambling on upside or "if" scenarios here...the baseline of talent is high, and the ceiling is even higher given the untapped upside in some of the younger guys like Cobb, Smith, and Aumont. The overwhelming majority of these guys are in the primes of their careers, and even the older guys have shown no signs of decline or have a skill set that should keep them valuable for the near future. Not bad given only one of my first seven picks was a pitcher.
 
Lineup
C) Matt Wieters (Age: 26)
1B) Jordan Pacheco (Age: 27) platoon with Wilson Betemit (Age: 31)
2B) Danny Espinosa (Age: 25)
SS) Elvis Andrus (Age: 24)
3B) Lonnie Chisenhall (Age: 24)
LF) Cody Ross (Age: 32) (Desmond Jennings upon the return of Adam Eaton)
CF) Desmond Jennings (Age: 26) (Adam Eaton once healthy. Age 24).
RF) Will Venable (Age: 30) (Platoon with Cody Ross upon return of Adam Eaton)
DH) Gaby Sanchez (Age: 29) (Platoon with Cody Ross upon return of Adam Eaton)
 
Bench
1) Josh Thole (Age: 26) (C)
2) Jamey Carroll (Age: 39) (2B, SS, 3B)
3) Wilson Betemit (1B, 3B, LF)
4) Gaby Sanchez (1B)
 
So Adam Eaton's injury kind of throws thing off, as the qualifiers above show. In a healthy world, I have a flexible lineup that can take advantage of platoon splits, with strong bench options ready to be substituted during the late innings if needed. The majority of the lineup is young and in their prime, and the oldest guy projected to get regular at bats is Cody Ross...who's 32. This group should be extremely effective defensively, with (once Eaton returns) significantly above average defense at every position except 1B and 3B...and even there we may well get at least average defense. This is also a good baserunning team. Unfortunately, while our lineup should crush LHP, it really isn't that strong against righties, so it's going to need that combination of defense and baserunning to win the majority of games. Still, as with the pitching staff, the baseline of talent is high, and there's a ton of untapped potential here. The majority of this lineup is really young and has plenty of room to improve, and all it would take is a breakout from one or two of Wieters, Espinosa, Andrus, Chisenhall, Eaton, or Jennings for the lineup to prove far more explosive than anticipated.
 
Overall then, I'm quite bullish on this squad. I think there's enough talent here to compete for a playoff spot immediately, even if everyone just plays to their career norms, and there is untapped potential throughout the roster. There are only two guys over age 32, while fifteen are age 28 or younger. This team is built to contend now and in the future, and if some of the younger guys can fulfill their potential than I think this team could easily go from "playoff contender" to championship contender.
 

SumnerH

Malt Liquor Picker
Dope
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
31,900
Alexandria, VA
wibi said:
I could have sworn I answered your question earlier.
 
I requested to the powers that be that due to potential 4th wall issues I needed a name change or a new account and they were nice enough to grant my name change.  I had some specific circumstances that necessitated it otherwise I wouldnt have even asked.
 
You should've changed it to CenturionWibi.
 

BigMike

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Sep 26, 2000
23,244
Sorry guys,  I actually started searching for a player,   and then fell asleep and forgot to get back to it.
 
Lousy pick, but I guess I could use a vet bat for my bench.
 
Rich Ankiel BP  Astros
 
 

Moosey

Mooseyed Farvin
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
4,214
CT
Back from Aruba today but crushed at work, I will do my best to get my last pick up sometime soon.
 

terrisus

formerly: imgran
SoSH Member
The three things I'm most upset at myself about from this draft:
 
1) Taking Hanley Ramirez instead of Joe Mauer with my 2nd-round pick. I was going back and forth between the two of them, then just decided to go with Hanley. As soon as Farvin picked Mauer with the pick right after mine, though, I immediately regretted not going with him (not that I thought he would make it back to me or anything, but still, pretty much regretted not going with him right after my pick). Even if he didn't stick at catcher for too long, I could have slotted him over to 1B and shifted things around a bit and still turned out fine, and while I figured I would have a hard time filling shortstop, there were still a number of players left rounds later who I would have been fine with there. I mean, I ended up with an alright catcher (PED suspension aside, and hoping that doesn't impact him too much), but still. Hanley being injured to start the year doesn't help my outlook on that decision too much either though, so, maybe it will work out alright, we'll see.
 
2) Gambling on Johan Santana in the 11th round, especially with the pitchers who were left at that point. And while Santana had the chance to be better than any of them, he also had the risk to give me absolutely nothing at all (which seems it may be the case), and that was way too early to be taking that kind of gamble.
 
3) Ryan Howard in the 7th round. I still think he'll give me some good production, but, realistically, I could have gotten him a number of rounds later, and used the pick on someone else who didn't last longer.
 
Also, the only thing I really wish I had that I don't is a backup catcher. Should have taken one in place of Gorzelanny. Sure, I could have gotten one with my last pick... But then I wouldn't have had Pedro.
 
Also, both Farvin and SMU picked a number of people I was planning to pick right before it was my turn, which of course sucked. Ah well.
 
Oh yeah, and I really wish that I had a top-10 pick, since I really, really wanted Felix Hernandez. Probably would have taken him even if I had the first overall pick. But, once I saw how far down the list I was, figured he wouldn't make it to me.
 
Also, it sucked picking pretty much right in the middle of the draft list. So long between every single one of my picks, pretty much my least-favorite spot.
 

Jed Zeppelin

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 23, 2008
51,333
I'll post more comprehensive thoughts, maybe tomorrow, although I already wrote so much about every pick as I made it. My strategy was pretty obvious: draft a vet-laden team of proven offensive and defensive talent at premium positions with a mix of speed and power. In multiple cases I sacrificed power for defensive ability and/or position scarcity. Instead of taking chances on youth, I took my chances on guys rebounding to career norms or coming back from injuries. My rotation is filled with guys who slipped because of age, injuries, and so on. I'm very happy with my offense and I like my bullpen quite a bit (especially if Madson returns to form). I just hope my rotation doesn't blow it all up.
 
My goal as a GM this time around was to build a team that would legitimately compete for a World Series within the next two to three seasons at least, because a World Series title buys a lot of time for a GM, and I'm really only in it for the money and endless buffets that come with the job.
 

Rich Garces Belly

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 14, 2009
340
MakMan44 said:
I actually have only have a few more weeks of free time left. Then I graduate and get a step closer to the real world.

In the mean time, I'll reread the thread and weep at the shitty 2013 my team is bound to have
 
Enjoy those next few weeks, once you are in the real world it is not nearly as much fun.  Congratulations though!
 

MakMan44

stole corsi's dream
SoSH Member
Aug 22, 2009
19,363
soxfan121 said:
Sputtering to the finish line...who's up and who should have PM'ed them?
Wake picked so the draft is all over except for those who need to fill in missing picks
 

Fishercat

Svelte and sexy!
SoSH Member
May 18, 2007
8,266
Manchester, N.H.
So RIRooter needs four picks, A34 needs three picks, Farvin needs one, KFP needs one, as does Cellar and Pap. Is that right?
 
I'll be interested to see how terrible my team is in a few years.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,464
Fishercat said:
So RIRooter needs four picks, A34 needs three picks, Farvin needs one, KFP needs one, as does Cellar and Pap. Is that right?
 
I'll be interested to see how terrible my team is in a few years.
I think I'm set aren't I? I only got skipped once (when I tried to take Miller) but then picked Veal a few hours later.
 
Edit- Yeah it just got missed. So.....
 
DONNIE VEAL RP
 
He is very good against lefties,. his control isn't great.
For his major league career lefties have a .501 OPS against which includes  .198 Slugging.
 
Last year's numbers were obscene: .303 OPS against.
Now I doubt he keeps that up, but he is clearly tough on lefties, which is what I need in my last pen slot.
 
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