I don’t prepare myself for fantasy drafts, aside from checking which players are injured. I can handle drafting a dud, but I try like hell to avoid the embarrassment of selecting a guy who may or may not have one functioning arm for the indefinite future.
While I have many shortcomings as a draft specialist, shameless homerism is one of my more significant pitfalls. So while enduring the Spring Training loss stories and avoiding the Academy Awards, I figured I'd bide my time by taking a stab at ranking the 25-man roster and see which Sox are most worth taking.
Let’s start by weeding out the middle relief guys who don’t have a purpose in a lot of leagues, in reverse order.
5)
Jeff Bajenaru/assorted LOOGY – Self-explanatory
4)
Cliff Politte – If he has the year last year, he’s arguably the second-most valuable reliever. But since he’s 32, I’d take…
3)
Neal Cotts – over him, since Cotts is only 25. He strikes out more batters and walks more batters than Politte, so it depends which category you’re emphasizing.
2)
Dustin Hermanson – He had 31 saves last year without having his best stuff for an entire half, and if Jenks pulls his fat, he’ll step in.
1)
Brandon McCarthy – Given how many innings Luis Vizcaino saw last year (more than Cotts), he should provide solid relief efforts with the promise of turning into a full-time starter after the trade deadline.
Now on to the starters and position players, in reverse order:
20) Ross Gload – He’s not the worst hitter on the list, but since he’s stuck behind Jim Thome and Paul Konerko at first, I can’t see him getting a lot of at-bats. And I can’t see a situation in which anybody would actually have to draft him.
Verdict: Avoid him.19) Joe Borchard – Now here’s the worst hitter on the list, but he’ll see more playing time as the team’s official fourth outfielder.
Verdict: Avoid him.18) Pablo Ozuna – He won’t hit for any power, but he should be eligible at all infield positions and the outfield.
Verdict: Shouldn't be a factor
17) Chris Widger – There's no reason to pick him, but might become a full-timer with one poorly placed foul ball into A.J. Pierzynski.
Verdict: Let's hope he's not a factor
16) Brian Anderson – He doesn’t hit for power or average, doesn’t walk, doesn’t steal bases. Plays a decent center field, but that doesn’t show up in fantasy box scores. Verdict:
Desperation is a stinky cologne
15) Rob Mackowiak – He's eligible at nearly every position, but he’s not somebody you can pencil into your lineup without an injury to a starter or prior knowledge of that day’s lineups.
Verdict: Good spot starter, not a full-time replacement.
14) Jon Garland – worst strikeout rate of any pitchers, and while his control will keep your team WHIP down, it’s hard to say if that decreased walk rate is here to stay. I think last year was for real, but it do much for fantasy teams.
Verdict: Good third or fourth pitcher13) Scott Podsednik – He has one excellent skill, and the rest are mediocre. He can start if your team is hurting for stolen bases, but seems like a fourth OF otherwise.
Verdict: Helps in roto leagues more than head-to-head12) Bobby Jenks – His strikeout rate is a plus, but he’s not lights-out to make him a top priority. He’s really not worth taking unless all other holes are filled first.
Verdict: Solid closer, if closers matter to you
11) Juan Uribe – Since his glove is his best attribute, his value isn’t as great from a fantasy perspective. And if hitting No. 2 put the clamp on Tadahito Iguchi as much as they’re having us believe, I’m a little skeptical of what he’ll do roto-lly.
Verdict: Some sleeper potential, but bench at best
10) Freddy Garcia – His control can drive you nuts, he allowed the most homers of any Sox pitcher and the highest WHIP, and his strikeout rate wasn’t anything to write home about. Has also the tendency to get shelled in the first, so he could ruin a weekly pitching line if your league is like that.
Verdict: Third or fourth pitcher
9) Joe Crede – Middle of the pack at a strong position, and his back problems could flare up at any time. Might be a candidate for a sleeper, though.
Verdict: Could start, but don't want to jinx him
8) A.J. Pierzynski – Also middle of the pack, but good hitting catchers are harder to come by. He’s durable, hits alright, and he’ll see most of the playing time.
Verdict: If he's a backup, your team has some depth
7) Jim Thome -- A high-risk, high-reward type fella – he could hit 30+ homers, or he could get injured again. Either way, this may be the last time he’ll be eligible as a first baseman.
Verdict: If you want to be as bold as Kenny, go for it.
6) Jermaine Dye – He could come down from last year, but if he’s healthy, he’ll be at least semi-productive. You wouldn’t be in bad shape if he were a third outfielder.
Verdict: Surprisingly effective
5) Jose Contreras – He’s looking a lot better this spring than he did last spring. He was as dominant in the second half as any pitcher not named Johan Santana. Question marks abound, especially if he’s traded to a homer haven in the second half, but he should be valuable for the first few months at least.
Verdict: Could be an ace
4) Tadahito Iguchi – The rookie ranked 12th in OPS of all second baseman, but he should move up a few spots, as Ray Durham, Todd Walker and Craig Biggio were ahead of them, and they shouldn’t be this year. They’re saying moving down in the order won’t only help his power numbers, but his speed as well. Even if he’s back to hitting second, he should be a valuable starter all season long.
Verdict: At least second-tier, definitely a starter somewhere
3) Paul Konerko – If you need homers and RBI, he can be your guy. If you need OPS, you can do better. He’s definitely a starter, but he’s not the most exciting guy to pick.
Verdict: Solid
2) Javier Vazquez – The only question is his consistency, because if he were on the staff last year, he’d automatically be the best control pitcher and strikeout pitcher on the staff. He throws a lot of innings, and if Don Cooper can straighten out whatever’s holding him back, he could be a top-flight starter.
Verdict: A guy who's helped more fantasy teams than real teams
1) Mark Buehrle – He’s won at least 14 games since he became a full-time starter, and is on the verge of being an ace. He strikes out a fair amount of guys for a finesse lefty, keeps the WHIP down, and if he can keep the unearned run totals down, could win 20 games. And if he doesn’t, it won’t factor into the team ERA any.
Verdict: Maybe the only Top 40 player on the Sox