An immediate impact player

Colby Rasmus

La Russa has said that if Rasmus has a good spring than they will make room for him. They have already started that by moving incumbent left fielder Skip Schumaker to second base.

Rasmus has power, speed, plate discipline and is touted as great defender. Even if he only manages to duplicate his AAA season .250/.350/.400 in the majors, as a center fielder with plus defense and base running, he will be a valuable player.

vivaelbeñsheets

by vivaelpujols on Feb 14, 2009 9:49 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Hanson and Rasmus are both good picks.

any Rockies fans have any word on Fowler? Is Spilborghs his only competition? If so, then I wouldn’t be surprised to see him real soon…. by May perhaps

by daveh33 on Feb 15, 2009 12:24 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Fowler

Spilborghs is just holding down the fort until Fowler takes the job for good. The Rockies have made it clear that they are not counting on Fowler and are content to let him spend the season in AAA unless he comes out in the spring and forces the issue.

The feeling that you get from the organization is that they will not be surprised if Fowler does just that.

When Fowler proves that he is ready to play in the big leagues full-time the Rockies will make room for him. Spilborghs has been an ideal fourth outfielder and he would probably be a better option as a starting left fielder right now so it isn’t as if they won’t find at-bats for him once Fowler is called up.

by MADness on Feb 15, 2009 7:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

thanks man

great thorough reply. can’t wait for ST

by daveh33 on Feb 15, 2009 8:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

WIETERS

the O’s seem to have anointed him the starter and they traded Hernandez to boot. He’ll be an impact player for them, very likely starting on opening day. And he is the best position prospect in the game.

Bonds stands alone.

Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal

by nostocksjustbonds on Feb 15, 2009 1:15 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Hopefully Greg Zaun has a bad spring

vivaelbeñsheets

by vivaelpujols on Feb 15, 2009 1:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ouch

I know what you mean… but…

I heard Greg Zaun interviewed talking about how he is excited to have the opportunity to mentor Wieters and help him out, regardless of what their roles on the team are.

Hard to root against a guy with that kind of attitude.

Ichiro, on facing Daisuke Matsuzaka for the first time: "I hope he arouses the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul."

by DaleCoop14 on Feb 15, 2009 9:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

actually

Wieters pretty much definitely wont be on the opening day roster as they will save money so he dosent become a super two player

by jsmall404 on Feb 15, 2009 10:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I doubt they can keep him down until June, which is what they'll have to do to keep him from becoming a super-2.

However, I think it’s likely that he’s not on the opening day roster and in AAA for a couple of weeks Evan Longoria style got essentially get 7 years of team control.

Tools Whore

Sign Bonds!

by Tyler on Feb 16, 2009 6:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Cameron Maybin

should be a good one, for impact right away…

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Feb 15, 2009 5:06 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Maybin

Good pick! He may even be leading off…

2009; John Lester becomes an ace?

by bodyiq on Feb 15, 2009 7:53 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I've interested to see him.

I’m still skeptical about his contact skills, but hopefully he puts it together and does well for the Marlins (just not against the mets)

Remember: baseball guys... baseball...

by Metty5 on Feb 15, 2009 9:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

My top 5 - Price is a no brainer, but has to be listed

1 = David Price (if he qualifies here)
2 = Travis Snider – he has a spot in the OF already and has proved he can handle big league pitching.
3 = Wieters – still unproven and not much of a stretch considering the hype he is getting.
4 = Maybin – he has to prove he can get on base to stay in the 1 spot, but he is gonna play.
5 = Smardzjia – should be a solid relief guy for the cubs.
6 = David Freese – he has the starting job at 3B and he has done it at every level. He will go late if at all on draft day, but can play.

My Bust
Elvis Andrus

by erikpoch on Feb 15, 2009 11:07 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

heh

considering there is a good to very good chance the rangers “longoria” him + considering he is a player who is more valuable b/c of his speed and defense = more valuable to majors than to fantasy, why do you think he is going to be a “bust”?

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Feb 15, 2009 1:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well...

there’s a significant chance Elvis Andrus hits at below replacement level, particularly this year and next. If he does that, it will be tempting to call him a bust, even if his defense makes him an ok (not good, but ok) player.

by slamcactus on Feb 15, 2009 2:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i have yet to see how he is going to be a bust, even then, from a non-fantasy perspective

he will get through growing pains, etc and will be a MUCH better defender than FOTF (young) from day 1 (not that thats saying a lot)

the question is – from a rangers front office perspective – how can he really be a bust this year, if he hits .240 and plays good/average/above average defense?

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Feb 15, 2009 5:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He's a bust...

if he hits .200/.250/.270 and his defense is merely good and not great.

If he hits .240, his secondary skills make him about a .240/.290/.300 player, which puts him only a little above replacement level with solid SS defense.

by slamcactus on Feb 15, 2009 8:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

right

which from a fantasy perspective is a bust

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Feb 16, 2009 1:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And...

from a real life perspective. In scenario 1 Andrus would be about a full win worse than a replacement level player. In scenario 2 he’s pretty much right at replacement level, and potentially as good as 2.5 runs above. That’s pretty much replacement level.

Replacement level players are bad players. They’re not players that destroy any chance of your team being competitive, but they don’t provide any positive value, either. If Elvis Andrus comes up to the majors and doesn’t perform any better than a random sampling of guys you could pick up off the scrap heap to play SS for a minor league contract, that’s pretty much the definition of what a bust is.

by slamcactus on Feb 16, 2009 5:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A .590 OPS is above replacement level?

What major league reserve SS hits below that?

I think those numbers are a little conservative, though I agree that it makes no sense to bring him up now, and he should spend at least a year at AAA

TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems

by OldProspects on Feb 16, 2009 12:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes.

The shortstop positional adjustment makes up for the weak bat. Remember that replacement level shortstops don’t play league average defense. Andrus would be about 25 runs below average in that scenario. Throw in average defense, +20 runs for replacement level, and a +7.5 run positional adjustment, and he’d be about 2.5 runs above replacement if he can OPS around .600.

by slamcactus on Feb 16, 2009 2:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

For...

a little perspective, the worst hitter in baseball who received significant playing time last year by wOBA was Michael Bourn, who works out as a near-perfect comp for the .240/.290/.300 version of Elvis Andrus.

Bourn had a .276 wOBA over about 500 plate appearances (.229/.288/.300) and played solid average center field defense. He also swiped 41 bags to only 10 CSs, which wOBA factors in. That performance equalled about 21.5 runs below average with the bat over 500 PA. UZR put his defense at +1.5, so we can feel pretty comfortable putting his defensive value somewhere between -3 and +3 (allowing for the concerns about the accuracy of even the best defensive stats).

-21.5 + 17 (replacement level) + (-3 < x < +3) + 2.1 (positional adjustment) = -7 < x < +0.6.

That’s a range of -0.7 to +.1 WAR. Good defense at a premium position turned the worst hitter in baseball into someone who hovers right around replacement level. Bourn has the advantage in speed over Andrus (I don’t see him equaling an 80% SB success rate in the majors), but that’s offset by the 5 extra runs Andrus gets via his position.

by slamcactus on Feb 16, 2009 5:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

going out on a limb

i think david price will make the opening day roster

by IHateMitchMustain on Feb 15, 2009 11:34 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Snider

Travis Snider may be the best hitter on the Blue Jays next year.

by slamcactus on Feb 15, 2009 2:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Does it matter if they make opening day?

Longoria didn’t make opening day and it would be hard to argue he didn’t make an impact.

Guess the no brainers are Price and Weiters but I will say Jordan Shaefer as ATL makes a run at the playoffs

by Bud Light on Feb 15, 2009 2:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

Schafer makes alot of sense to me

by jsmall404 on Feb 15, 2009 10:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Dark Horses

1. John Raynor OF Fla (great OBP + speed)
2. Matt Antonelli 2B SD (will regain good enough bat for 2B)
3. Luis Valbuena 2B Cle (solid 2B bat)

anyone can pick a top 20 prospect. As for those, I think Weiters hits his way onto the team and doesn’t stop all year long.

by TCapone30 on Feb 15, 2009 3:54 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Juan Francisco 3B CIN

not sure if it will come this year but look out for this kid. He can flat out hit!!!

by Summa Slugga on Feb 15, 2009 4:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

thank you

for bringing up a player 2 years away in a post about this impact players this year lol

by jsmall404 on Feb 15, 2009 10:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

thanks for

being such an arrogant fool!!! Oh, and by the way he wil be 22 this year and may be valuable in 09.

by Summa Slugga on Feb 16, 2009 12:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

how will he be valuable in 09

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Feb 16, 2009 1:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

fantasy wise

he will be valuable if he comes up late in the year and hit 10HR in 6 weeks!!

by Summa Slugga on Feb 16, 2009 10:40 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, no problem

He’ll just hit 10 homers in 6 weeks. One question – why 10 and not 15?

TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems

by OldProspects on Feb 16, 2009 12:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

another one

of you arrogant people!! Shane Spencer came out of no where to hit if I remmeber correctly 11 HR in septmeber. If you think he cant do the same then that is your opinion. Everyone here is posting Maybin and Rasmus and guys who are kinda obvious, so I decided to go out on a limb and say he may get some HR later in the season helping out a fantasy team trying to make a push for the playoffs.

by Summa Slugga on Feb 16, 2009 4:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I guess im not the only crazy one....

by Summa Slugga on Feb 16, 2009 4:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Link....

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=paQ04536&position=3B

by Summa Slugga on Feb 16, 2009 4:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

james simmons

takes the #5 spot in Oakland….

talk about going out on a limb

by oakballnack on Feb 15, 2009 8:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Actually

Out of their 4 top pitching prospects (BA, Cahill, Mazzaro, Him) he will probably be able to contribute the quickest, mainly because his game translates well. He can control the ball better than anybody else, and though he doesnt have the greatest stuff, he can still get guys out.

Never, Never, NEVER give up

by hero66 on Feb 16, 2009 12:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Mat Gamel

All that sits between him and the starting 3B job is an injured Bill Hall and McGehee/Lamb. And when he’s up on Opening Day, his bat will not allow him to go back down. I have a good deal of faith in his ability to acclimate himself to 3B. He’s made steady progress (though there was only one direction to go) the last few years, and his bat will play from Day One.

by ILuvDaBush on Feb 15, 2009 9:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

All...

that sits between Gamel and a starting 3B job is his glove.

He’s worse than Ryan Braun at 3rd, by most accounts. He needs to be traded to a team that can use him at 1st base.

by slamcactus on Feb 15, 2009 10:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Feb 16, 2009 1:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hanson..

probably wont make the opening day roster:

Lowe
Vasquez
Jurjiens
Kawakami
Glavine/Reyes/Morton

Morton and Reyes obviously arent competition but Glavine would be as they wont sign him for 3 million and not have him pitch.

by jsmall404 on Feb 15, 2009 10:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Campillo is the 5th starter right now

And he was very good last year. Plus they will have Hudson coming back after the all star break, so it is unlikely that Hanson pitches this year unless there are a lot of injuries.

vivaelbeñsheets

by vivaelpujols on Feb 16, 2009 12:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Injuries

Is the key word here.

Yes, that rotation does look pretty deep right now but a couple of injuries and Hanson is in….

2009; John Lester becomes an ace?

by bodyiq on Feb 16, 2009 4:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

My pick

Is Maybin..as he will be on the opening day roster and if he gets 500+ABs will make a run at ROY

by jsmall404 on Feb 15, 2009 10:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

agreed

Maybin will be a very entertaining player to watch, Hope to catch him a couple of times this year here in DC…

2009; John Lester becomes an ace?

by bodyiq on Feb 16, 2009 5:30 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Going out on a limb

Ryan Perry comes up at the ASB and serves as a good set-up guy for the Tigers. He won’t have the impact that, say, Matt Wieters or David Price would have, but if the Tigers are in a pennant race, he may help change the dynamics in the AL Central.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Feb 17, 2009 11:44 AM EST reply actions 0 recs