THANKS FROM THE 411

Hey everyone,

Not a whole lot has happened since my last post but things are sure to get crazy soon with the Winter Meetings only a week away. Here are a few signings from the past 10 days that carry some fantasy relevance.

Hiroki Kuroda re-signs with Yankees for 1 yr/$15 million

I have to admit that I was skeptical that Kuroda would be able to perform as well as he did in the NL West in the hard-hitting AL East. Early on it looked like he was destined for the same fate as Javier Vazquez and the long list of quality NL starting pitchers who came to the Yankees and crumbled. Heading into his May 27^th start at Oakland, Kuroda’s ERA was a mediocre 4.56. But then it all turned around. Kuroda was outstanding in the second half (8-4, 3.14 ERA) and dominant in the postseason. Through five big league seasons, Kuroda has yet to post an ERA above 3.76 or a WHIP greater than 1.22. And he’s proven that he can pitch in New York. He’s about as consistent as they come. Draft him as your #2 SP in mixed leagues and be glad you did. His good but not great K rate is the only thing holding him back from ace status.

Evan Longoria signs 6 yr/$100 million extension with Rays

I was a bit surprised by this as Longo was already signed through 2016 and he has dealt with injuries over the past couple of seasons. But you can’t fault the Rays for wanting to make sure that their star third baseman will remain with the team through the end of his career. Longoria remains a clear-cut top-5 3B heading into 2013 (we have him at #4 on our preliminary rankings) but the fact that he’s missed a combined 117 games since the start of the 2011 campaign will scare some owners off. He could very well fall to the late second or even early third round this spring, which would be a steal considering that he’s a first round talent.

Jeremy Guthrie re-signs with Royals for 3 yrs/$25 million

This seems like a lot of money to commit to a pitcher with such a limited amount of upside, but the Royals were obviously desperate for rotation help and figured that Guthrie, who was brilliant following his mid-season trade to Kansas City (3.16 ERA, 1.13 WHIP in 14 starts) would slot in nicely behind Big Erv. Guthrie put together a number of solid seasons while with the Orioles but he doesn’t strike anyone out and when he’s bad, he’s very bad. I consider him nothing more than a Pitch or Ditch option in mixed leagues. He does carry some value in AL-only leagues as an innings eater who is likely to finish the year with an ERA around 4.00.

Jonny Gomes signs with Red Sox for 2 yrs/$10 million

With David Ortiz locked into the DH spot, Boston will use the defensively challenged Gomes in the outfield, and it remains to be seen how the Red Sox will juggle their outfield. I wouldn’t be surprised if they acquire an additional outfielder via free agency or trade. But Gomes’ contract terms suggest that he should get a healthy dose of at-bats. 18 homers and a .868 OPS as a part-timer for the A’s last year is nothing to laugh at, and I actually like Gomes a lot as an under the radar power source, mainly in AL-only leagues.

Feel free to continue posting your questions/comments here and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

-Zach

THANKS FROM THE 411

Hey everyone,

Like 99.9 % of baseball followers, I was stunned to learn about the Marlins-Blue Jays trade, and as much as I dislike the Marlins (I’m still bitter over the ’03 World Series), I do kind of feel bad for fans of the team who were expecting big things from a squad that had just signed Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell to join the likes of Hanley Ramirez, Giancarlo Stanton, the emerging Emilio Bonifacio, Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez. The Marlins were also opening up a new ballpark and looked like a legitimate threat to win the NL East. What’s left now? Stanton and the ballpark. That’s it. The mega-swap is still awaiting MLB approval, and as much as it probably bothers Bud Selig and the 28 other owners, there’s little reason to expect any sort of veto. Like in fantasy, trades should be allowed to pass as long as there’s no evidence of collusion and, in the case of “real” baseball, the commissioner’s office signs off on the money that will be changing hands. Tough blow for Marlin fans but hey, they still have the Heat to be excited about! And who knows, maybe by 2018 we’ll look back on this and say that the Marlins got a solid return.

Alright, let’s run through all of the notable transactions made since my last post and talk about their fantasy ramifications.

Marlins trade Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Emilio Bonifacio and John Buck to the Blue Jays for Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez, Jake Marisnick and Justin Nicolino

I don’t even know where to begin here but I guess the logical place is Reyes. If anything, I think his fantasy value goes up. As a career National Leaguer, it might take him some time to adjust to the Junior circuit (See Albert Pujols). But a quality supporting cast headlined by Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie will put Reyes in prime position to surpass the 100-run mark. And don’t overlook the fact that he’ll be playing in a hitter-friendly park for the first time in his career. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes a run at 20 homers. To me, Reyes is the #1 fantasy shortstop heading into 2013 drafts, even ahead of Hanley.

As for Johnson and Buehrle, I’m not a fan of investing in starting pitchers who are making the move from the NL to the AL, but this applies more to Johnson since Buehrle spent his entire career in the AL prior to 2012. He remains a decent back end of the rotation guy, a step above Pitch or Ditch but not exactly someone I’ll be targeting. I have a feeling the AL East won’t be too kind to him. It was nice to see Johnson turn in a fully healthy season last year after he was limited to just nine starts in 2011, but his overall numbers were far from elite. He was good but not great, and I’m concerned about him pitching in the AL East. Draft him as a low-end No. 2 starter in standard mixed leagues and you won’t be disappointed. Relying on him to be your ace, even your “soft ace,” is very risky. Bonifacio is worth a late-round pick in mixed leagues for the stolen bases but it’s unclear if he’ll be an everyday player for Toronto. Either way, Emilio should get enough at-bats to make a meaningful contribution in deep mixed leagues even though he’s fairly one-dimensional. Buck has some pop but he’s an AVG killer and should be avoided outside of AL-only leagues, even if the Jays decide to trade J.P. Arencibia.

Of the players heading to Miami, I’m most intrigued by Alvarez. He faded badly in the second half last season but he’s only 22 years old and is a control specialist. Moving from the AL East to the NL and a favorable pitcher’s park could be just what he needs to get back on track. I like him as an NL-only flier with some upside.

Melky Cabrera signs with Blue Jays for 2 yrs/$16 million

So much for the big pay day but hey, if I got caught using performance enhancing drugs and then secured myself an $8 million per year salary I’d be one happy guy. Who knows what to expect from Melky. Was his All-Star first half last year and strong 2011 campaign for real or artificially driven? Melky should only benefit from playing half of his games at Rogers Centre and I won’t necessarily be avoiding him on draft day. At the same time, I won’t be targeting him. Maybe it’s just that I’m not thrilled with the idea of welcoming cheaters onto my fantasy teams.

Torii Hunter signs with Tigers for 2 yrs/$ 26 million

The 37-year-old Hunter very quietly enjoyed a fine season in 2012, driving in at least 90 runs for the third time in his last four seasons while batting over .300 for the first time in his career. Father Time is bound to catch up to Hunter at some point, but is it unrealistic to expect another solid showing in 2013? Not at all. He’ll be slotted into a formidable Detroit lineup that already includes Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder and will get even better with the return of Victor Martinez. Consider Hunter a quality #3 OF in standard mixed leagues.

Scott Baker signs with Cubs for 1 yr/$5.5 million

A genius move by Theo Epstein! OK, maybe I’m biased because I’ve always been a big-time Baker supporter and I’ve been waiting for him to have that breakout season for quite some time now. Chances are the breakout season won’t come in 2013, as he’s fresh off Tommy John surgery and might not be ready for the start of the season. But even if he’s not in the Cubs’ rotation on Opening Day, it sounds like he’ll be good to go at some point early in the first half. NL-only alert! The K/BB master could turn out to be a draft day steal.

Jeremy Affeldt re-signs with Giants for 3 yrs/$18 million

Not much to say here. Affeldt is a top-notch late-inning specialist who will be more valuable for the Giants than he will be for your fantasy team, unless of course your league uses holds as a category. He might pick up a few saves along the way, though Sergio Romo has proven that he can handle the full-time closer role should Brian Wilson miss any more time.

Padres place Yasmani Grandal on restricted list

Grandal has been suspended for 50 games for testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone. Very disappointing news following a stellar 60-game rookie campaign. This puts Grandal out of commission until late-May. As of now, John Baker figures to serve as the Padres’ #1 catcher. Yikes! Grandal still carries plenty of value in keeper leagues and will certainly be drafted in all NL-only formats come March. But he’ll go undrafted in the vast majority of mixed leagues. For those of you in deeper formats, using a late-round pick on Grandal isn’t a bad idea given his 2012 performance.

Mets release Jason Bay

This one is more for comic relief than anything else (yeah, I do like to tease Met fans from time to time). Hopefully, Bay can revitalize his career with another team. Depending on how he performs in spring training (assuming he finds a new team), he might warrant some non-mixed league consideration come draft day.

And that does it for this edition of “Zach’s Musings.” Feel free to keep sending in your questions. I’ll be back here next week with a whole new batch of musings!

THANKS FROM THE 411

Hey everyone,

I was planning on putting up a “Zach’s Musings” post last week but Hurricane Sandy had other ideas. Now that power is back on in downtown Manhattan, it’s time to talk fantasy baseball again! So let’s get started. Here’s my take on a bunch of notable news stories that have emerged since my last post.

David Ortiz re-signs with Red Sox for 2 yrs/$26 million

As expected. Big Papi was in the midst of a highly productive 2012 season before an Achilles injury sidelined him for almost the entire second half. Ortiz is getting up there in age (he turns 37 later this month) but the fact that he’s strictly a DH does alleviate some of the concern regarding his health. Count on .280-25-90 in 2013, though his DH-only eligibility hurts his overall fantasy value.

Brandon League re-signs with Dodgers for 3 yrs/$22.5 million with a vesting option for 2016

Wow! And Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says that League will be their closer. This one boggles my mind. Did he forget that Kenley Jansen is on the roster? This is terrible news for keeper league owners of Jansen (and I’m one of them), as it sounds like he’ll be relegated to setup duty in 2013. Jansen is the far better pitcher, so the only explanation for this move is that the Dodgers are concerned about his heart issues, but he recently underwent a procedure that apparently fixed the problem. Please help me understand this because I’m confused. League is nothing more than a low-end No. 2 closer while Jansen goes from being a top-3 closer to an elite setup man. Very strange.

Ryan Howard has already lost “a significant amount of weight” during his offseason conditioning program, according to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro

Howard put on some weight while recovering from Achilles surgery but still made an impact upon his return to the Phillies’ lineup in early-July. The .219 average and 99-to-25 K/BB ratio are ugly numbers but his 14 homers and 56 RBIs in 71 games should not be overlooked. I know Mike and Cory aren’t too high on Howard for next year, but if he can stay healthy and go .250-30-100, he’ll make for a nice mid-round value pick. I’m certainly open to drafting him if the price is right.

Mariano Rivera decides to play in 2013

And so ends Rafael Soriano’s stint with the Yankees, in all likelihood. Will the soon to be 43-year-old Rivera show any signs of decline in 2013? Mariano continues to defy the odds but he is coming back from a significant injury. I’ll never bet against him though, so I’ll say no. We didn’t include Rivera in our 2013 closer rankings and we definitely should have. For the time being, I’d slot him in at #7, behind Papelbon and ahead of Nathan. He could be a steal there but I have a feeling that no one will be sleeping on him come draft day, especially if he looks good in spring training. Don’t be surprised if he sneaks into the top-3 by then. I just don’t see him dropping to the point where he offers great value.

Tigers confident that Victor Martinez will return to his old form

V-Mart missed the entire 2012 season after undergoing knee surgery but is expected to be 100 percent healthy for the start of spring training. Will he once again perform at an elite level? Who knows. But it’s nice to hear that his rehab is going well. It’ll be very interesting to find out where he goes off the board in early mocks, but I don’t see a whole lot of downside in using a mid to late-round pick on him. He’ll maintain catcher eligibility for at least one more year and there aren’t too many catchers who have the potential to bat .300 with 20 homers and 90-plus RBIs. To me, V-Mart is an injury-risk worth taking should you decide to pass on the top-tier backstops.

Ervin Santana traded to the Royals

Big Erv! This came as a bit of a surprise to me at first. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Erv is coming off an extremely disappointing 2012 campaign and his contract included a hefty $13 million club option for 2013, so the Halos are saving some money by shipping him to Kansas City. Erv’s fantasy value doesn’t change much with his move to K.C. We all know that he can dominate at times but his inconsistency is maddening. Maybe a change of scenery will do him some good, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to draft him. The AL Central is a little tougher on pitchers than the AL West and the Royals’ lineup probably won’t give him the kind of run support he’s enjoyed while playing for the Angels. He’s medium-risk, medium-reward. I won’t be avoiding him but I also won’t be targeting him.

Until next week (weather permitting),

Zach

THANKS FROM THE 411

Hey everyone,

What do Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, Albert Pujols and now Pablo Sandoval have in common? Yep, they’re the only players in MLB history who have homered three times in a single World Series game. And the fact that two of Sandoval’s three homers last night came off Justin Verlander makes his performance all the more impressive. I still expect this to be a long series, but if the Giants continue to score runs at this clip, it could very well be over in four or five games. I’m sticking with my Tigers in seven prediction. Let’s see tonight if Madison Bumgarner has fixed whatever mechanical problems he says he’s been battling throughout the postseason.

But getting back to Sandoval. I owned the Panda in three different fantasy leagues this year, and I have to say that he’s one of the most frustrating guys to deal with. He’s missed a combined 99 games over the past two seasons and many have questioned his dedication to staying in shape. We have him ranked as the #8 3B heading into 2013, right behind the equally frustrating Ryan Zimmerman, and I think that’s pretty accurate. I’d be open to drafting him again due to his solid AVG and power numbers, but be careful not to overpay. It’s very common for a player who enjoys a signature postseason moment to be overvalued going into the following season.

Anyway, let’s run through a bunch of fantasy-relevant news stories that have developed over the past week.

CC Sabathia to see Dr. James Andrews about left elbow

Scary stuff but since his ligament remains intact, there’s no chance he’ll need Tommy John surgery. Rather, it’s believed that he has just a bone spur in the elbow, which would require only a minor procedure. A model of durability throughout his career, the 32-year-old Sabathia now enters 2013 as a slight injury risk, and while he’s still an ace, he’s no longer a top-5 SP. We had him at #10 before this news surfaced, and I’d think about bumping him down a couple of spots. Another example as to why you shouldn’t invest too heavily in starting pitching on draft day. Even the sure things aren’t really sure things.

***UPDATE (10/25 NYY Press Release on Sabathia)

New York Yankees LHP CC Sabathia was seen by Dr. James Andrews today in Birmingham, Ala. Dr. Andrews performed arthroscopic surgery on Sabathia’s left elbow to remove a small bone spur. Sabathia is expected to fully recover prior to the start of the 2013 regular season.

Derek Jeter undergoes successful ankle surgery, out 4-5 months

Continuing with the Yankee theme, it was really a shame to see Jeter’s fantastic season come to an end on such a bitter note, and we’re reminded that he’s 38 years of age. I’m not overly concerned about his availability for the start of spring training, but will he look like the same player? I’d be OK with him as my starting SS but wouldn’t go out of my way to draft him. He’s not running much these days and I’m more intrigued by some of the younger players at the position, like Elvis Andrus and Asdrubal Cabrera, both of whom I might be able to draft at a lesser cost.

Marlins trade Heath Bell to D-Backs for Yordy Cabrera

And so ends Bell’s disastrous stint in Miami and in all likelihood his stint as a fantasy-worthy pitcher. He’ll serve as a middle reliever for the D-Backs, and even if the oft-injured J.J. Putz misses any time, don’t expect Bell to handle closing duties. David Hernandez has already proven that he can thrive in the ninth inning role.

A’s acquire Chris Young from D-Backs for Cliff Pennington and Yordy Cabrera

A sneaky move by A’s GM Billy Beane, who surely hopes that a change of scenery will help the struggling Young, but going from hitter-friendly Chase Field to the spacious Coliseum in Oakland doesn’t excite me all that much. We all know the deal with CBY. He’ll give you solid power and speed production at the expense of a mediocre AVG. Young’s best all-around season came back in 2010 when he smacked 27 homers with 91 RBIs, 91 runs, 28 steals and a tolerable .257 average. I don’t see him duplicating those numbers, but he’s still a decent mid to late-round flier just because he could go 20/20, but I’ve spent enough years drafting Young with the hope that he can develop into a star. I’m done with him! Pennington should slot in as Arizona’s everyday shortstop and makes for an intriguing NL-only pick as his offensive production could improve now that he’ll be playing in a more favorable ballpark.

And by the way, who is this Yordy Cabrera guy? A .232/.293/.332 line at High-A ball this year has me wondering why he was such a hot commodity.

C.J. Wilson’s elbow surgery goes well

Maybe Wilson’s elbow is to blame for his poor second half (4-5, 5.54 ERA, 1.57 WHIP), but either way, the fact that the surgery was considered minor is good news, and I wouldn’t hesitate to draft Wilson as a high-end #3 SP in 12-team mixed leagues. Your league mates might overlook his exceptional first half (9-5, 2.43 ERA, 1.16 WHIP). There’s value to be had here.

Until next time,

Zach

THANKS FROM THE 411

Some postseason! We’ve got closer demotions, trade rumors involving guys who are still playing and the Yankees’ lineup all of a sudden looking like the Astros’ lineup while their pitching, which was considered a weakness heading into the season, has been absolutely lights out in October. Anyway, here are my fantasy-related thoughts on some of the recent developments from around the league.

Jose Valverde yanked from the closer role after imploding in Game 1 vs. the Yankees

Fortunately for the Tigers, Valverde’s horrendous outing didn’t cost them the win, but this performance was on the heels of an equally disastrous nightmare appearance vs. the A’s that actually did cost Detroit a win. I’m not one to pay too much attention to postseason results when ranking a player for the following year, but this is just another reminder that Valverde is far from a sure thing. Let’s also note that he’s entering free agency this winter and it remains to be seen if the Tigers want him back. If he’s still closing in 2013, I view him as a decent second closer in 12-team mixed leagues. Gone are the days of him being a high-end #2 or low-end #1.

Brian McCann to face six months of rehab following shoulder surgery

This means that McCann will miss the first few weeks of the 2013 season and maybe even the entire month of April. We had him ranked as the #6 backstop heading into next season, and that seems about right for now. But you should obviously monitor this situation very closely in the weeks leading up to draft day. Be careful not to pay for past performance, as McCann was a pretty big disappointment in 2012. You might be better off taking Salvador Perez, Wilin Rosario or Jonathan LuCroy for a fraction of the price. That’s what I’ll be doing!

A-Rod, 3-for-23 with no RBIs this postseason, is all of a sudden a part-time player

Now this is strange. I know he’s been terrible, but Eric Chavez is 0-for-14! There has to be more to this story. Cashman can dismiss the Rodriguez to Miami rumors all he wants, but it’s clear that the Yankees are trying to make life as uncomfortable as possible for their aging third baseman. For fantasy purposes, he’s YPNM, even if I could draft him at a bargain basement price. I just don’t need the drama.

Curtis Granderson is 3-for-29 this postseason with one homer, one RBI, one run scored and 15 strikeouts

Somewhat lost amidst the Grandy Man’s 43-homer regular season is that he hit just .232 with 195 strikeouts. Also, he stole a pedestrian 10 bases after swiping 25 bags in 2011. Are we looking at the next Adam Dunn here? Or even worse, Adam Dunn without the high OBP? I’m not willing to go that far just yet, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable drafting Granderson before the fifth or sixth round of a 12-team mixed. Someone in almost every league will snatch him up sooner.

Ryan Ludwick will reportedly turn down his $5 million mutual option for 2013, but the Reds will attempt to keep him.

As well they should. Ludwick enjoyed a major bounce back season in his first year with the Reds and would continue to benefit from playing half of his games at Great American Ballpark. While he’s been very inconsistent over the past few years, I wouldn’t be against drafting him in the mid to late rounds should he stay with Cincy. Just make sure you’re not passing on more reliable alternatives. Ludwick does come with some risk.

Well, that’s all for this week. I’ll be back next week with some more notes. In the meantime, feel free to post your keeper questions.

-Zach

THANKS FROM THE 411

Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of the second wild card. Just look at how crazy the final few weeks of the season were with so many teams still in contention. What I’m not in love with though is baseball’s rushed decision to implement the second wild card this year, prior to the Astros’ move to the AL West and after having already set the 2012 schedule with the idea that there would not be a couple of wild card games to squeeze in. Is it really fair that each of the NL Central teams opened the season with a 1/6 chance of getting a first-round playoff “bye” while the AL West clubs had a ¼ chance of earning this advantage?

As if this isn’t enough of a reason to delay the second wild card rule until 2013, I absolutely hate the 2-3 Division Series format. At least it sounds like this will be switched back to 2-2-1 next year, with the only reason for the 2-3 system being that the old schedule didn’t leave enough room for the extra off-day. But if we waited another year for the second wild card, this would not be an issue. So instead of the A’s, Yankees, Reds and Nationals getting rewarded for outstanding seasons, they had to open their playoff series on the road. I feel especially bad for the A’s, who followed up an outstanding regular season finish that was capped off by an improbable sweep of the Rangers by promptly losing both of their DS road games. Yeah, they’re now home for the remainder of the series and avoided elimination last night, but having to win three games in a row, even at home, is a daunting task. So if Bud Selig happens to read the Fantasy 411 blog, I’m urging you to go back to the 2-2-1 format. From what I read, the 2-3 schedule is a one-year thing. But if it isn’t, the league would be making a huge mistake.

Alright, enough of this non-fantasy stuff. A few notes on some fantasy-relevant news stories from the past few days

                                                                                                                                                  Joakim Soria (elbow) looks good playing catch on Tuesday

Remember him? Soria should be fully recovered from Tommy John surgery by the start of the 2013 season, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to target him as a late-round deep league sleeper. The Royals hold an $8 million team option on him, which they almost certainly will decline, and while they might try to re-sign Soria at a cheaper cost, there’s a good chance that they just let him walk. Greg Holland thrived in the closer role this year and I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t remain the club’s closer in 2013. I can easily see Soria pitching elsewhere, maybe even as a setup man.

Jaime Garcia gets removed from the Cardinals’ NLDS roster after an MRI reveals a rotator cuff strain and inflammation

Garcia would be eligible to pitch should the Cards advance to the World Series but I’m expecting the club to shut him down, even if this turns out to be a minor injury. Garcia will be YPNM (your problem, not mine) heading into 2013 drafts unless I can get him in the final couple of rounds. He’s too much of an injury risk for a guy who I doubt will last that long.

Brett Anderson tosses six shutout innings in Game 3 victory over Tigers

Anderson had been sidelined for the past three weeks with an oblique injury but dominated a very strong lineup. Like Garcia, he’s an injury risk, but I’m a lot more bullish on him heading into next year. If the A’s hadn’t made the postseason, he would be totally under the radar since he didn’t make his return from Tommy John surgery until very late in the season, but I still think he’ll be taken after Garcia in 2013 drafts.

Homer Bailey dominates the Giants in Game 3 (7 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K)

Spoiler alert! You’ll see Homer on our 2013 List of 12, which we will post very soon. Inconsistency has plagued Bailey throughout his big league career but we at the 411 still believe in him. 2012 was by far his best season, and keep in mind that he’s still only 26 and was lights out in September (3-1, 2.01 ERA, 42 K’s in 44 2/3 IP). An ideal value pick in the mid to late rounds.

OK, that’s all for this week. I’ll be back with some more thoughts next week. And in the meantime, continue to post your keeper questions here.

-Zach

Cory celebrates his Mixed Tout Wars victory

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for your contributions to the blog and support of the podcasts throughout the season. Hopefully, the 411 played a small part in your fantasy success, but ultimately you guys deserve the credit as the final decisions were up to you.

Below, I’ve posted the blog links to all of our special end of season content. You’ll see our preliminary 2013 positional rankings, our end of season teams, Mike and Cory’s report cards and our final updated Pitch or Ditch category chart.

First Base and Third Base Rankings for 2013

Second Base and Shortstop Rankings for 2013

Catcher and Outfield Rankings for 2013

Starting Pitcher and Closer Rankings for 2013

All-Surprise and All-Disappointment Teams for 2012

2012 Report Cards

All-Rookie, All-Injury and All-Fantasy Teams for 2012

The Final Pitch or Ditch Category Chart

And major congrats to our listener league winners:

411 League – Steve Cozzolino aka Neighbor Steve (by a single point over Zack Stair!)

Ron Cey League – Tony Bartlett

Paul C. Smith League – Jayson Panetta

Marzano League – Johan Weidolf (and it came down to the final day)

And last but certainly not least, a big time thanks to all of our listener league commissioners: Tony Bartlett (Ron Cey), Dean Baker (Paul C. Smith) and Joe Curley (Marzano). Trust me, I know what you guys have to deal with, particularly when it comes to deciding on that all-important draft time. Well done!

Enjoy the postseason and keep checking the blog throughout the offseason as we’ll be routinely posting new content.

Also note that Cory will be posting his Tout Wars season recap sometime next week.

-Zach

FANTASY 411 SEASON RECAP CENTRAL

ZACH’S PICKS

FANTASY 411 SEASON RECAP CENTRAL

CORY’S PICKS

Lester @ Phelps – Lester has been better of late but still not awesome; category-based decision

Peavy @ Masterson

Swarzak @ Jenkins

M. Gonzalez @ Shields

Fister @ Guthrie

Harrison @ Blackley

Haren @ Iwakuma

Hanson @ Correia – one last shot on Hanson vs. scuffling Pirates

Cloyd @ Gorzelanny

Dickey @ Turner

Norris @ Volstad – Norris on the road vs. Volstad… could be 12-9

Bass @ Thornburg

Latos @ Carpenter

Chacin @ Corbin

Zito @ Capuano – risk/reward on both, go with the categories

FANTASY 411 SEASON RECAP CENTRAL

Hey everyone,

On the final 411 podcast of the 2012 fantasy season, Mike and Cory discussed in-depth our All-Rookie, All-Injury and All-Fantasy teams. Here are the rosters, and be sure to check out the podcast when it comes out later today.

And as always, feel free to post your opinions about these teams.

-Zach

                                                                                                                                          ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

C     Wilin Rosario
1B  Anthony Rizzo
2B  Steve Lombardozzi
SS  Zack Cozart
3B  Todd Frazier

OF  Mike Trout
OF  Bryce Harper
OF  Yoenis Cespedes
SP  Yu Darvish
SP  Wade Miley
RP  Addison Reed

ALL-INJURY TEAM

C   Wilson Ramos
1B  Lance Berkman
2B  Chase Utley

SS  Troy Tulowitzki
3B  Evan Longoria
OF  Matt Kemp
OF  Jacoby Ellsbury
OF  Brett Gardner
SP  Roy Halladay
SP  Daniel Hudson
RP  Mariano Rivera

ALL-FANTASY TEAM

C     Buster Posey
1B  Miguel Cabrera
2B  Aaron Hill (a narrow but clear edge over Robinson Cano)
SS  Jimmy Rollins (edges Ian Desmond and Jose Reyes)
3B  Edwin Encarnacion (honorable mention to Chase Headley)
OF  Mike Trout

OF  Ryan Braun
OF  Andrew McCutchen
SP  R.A. Dickey
SP  Justin Verlander (David Price the clear-cut #3)
RP  Craig Kimbrel (honorable mentions to Aroldis Chapman and Fernando Rodney)