2008 Buffalo Keeper League Team Draft Analysis
“Putting the Anal back in Analysis”William Mauger
Da Twisted Testicles
History
Exp: 12th Original Member of the League
Titles: 1
Avg Finish: 5.2 (2nd)
Best: 1st 2002
Worst: 8th 2002 & 2006
Average Moves: 90 (1st)
Average Trades: 6.2 (3rd)
2007 Finish: 2nd
2007 #1: Alex Rodriguez
2007 #18: Jason Hirsch
2006 #1: Bobby Abreu
2006 #18: Kevin Mench
Stats
Pick: 14th
Overall Rating: 2.50 (14th)
Offense
: 2.86 (9th-t)
Infield + Catcher: 2.80 (10th-t)
Outfield + Utility: 2.91 (6th)
Pitching
: 2.15 (15th)
Starting: 2.00 (15th)
Closing: 2.58 (11th)
TDA in a Nutshell:
Keepers: Brian Roberts 3, Lance Berkman 6, Jered Weaver 9, Blanton 12
Blue Chip: None
Best Pick: S. Hill 17th
Worst Pick: Delgado 7th
Overrated: Todd Jones
Underrated: S. Hill
Not on my team: Bartlett
Not on any team: Barry Bonds
Sleeper: Troy Glaus
Super Sleeper: Barry Bonds
Bust: Carlos Delgado
Major Bust: Todd Jones
Rotation: Blanton, Jered Weaver, S. Hill, Duchscherer, Prior and Carpenter (August)
Closers: 2.00 Kevin Gregg and Todd Jones
Overview:
One of the longest tenured and most successful owners in team history, Bill has not let fatherhood slow him down. Rumor has it instead of a baby rattle Bill put a fantasy magazine in the crib.
What Went Right?
Bill was able to hold off on closers until the last minute and still end up with two of them. Shawn Hill was a highly rated prospect, but injuries have slowed him down and he has since been ejected from the roster. Evan Longoria, the number one rated prospect in all of baseball deserves to be in the Rays starting nine, but continues to be held back by management. Regardless he will have a good keeper value only if he explodes within the next year or two. There is not much else to say about what went right on draft day. Most of Bill’s work was done before the draft with excellent keepers.
What Went Wrong?
Bill decided to subscribe to the Michel strategy of fantasy baseball. Whereby the owner drafts injured players and hope for the best. It has not worked out well for Michel and Bill is not off to a good start. With both DL slots filled before the first game in Japan, Bill had no room for injured starter Shawn Hill. Further complicating things are the issues with Bonds and Longoria. Bonds will most likely find a new prison yard teammate in Michael Vick at some point this year. And Longoria continues to languish with his scarlet NA designation. With both DL slots and both bench spots firmly occupied Bill has left himself little margin for error. A rookie mistake not even his son would commit.
Hitting Analysis
Bill has a lineup of twenty-five to thirty homerun sluggers. Berkman should set the pace and lead the team in dingers. Bill also has three good sources of speed, the best having been dealt for thirty/thirty second baseman Brandon Phillips in the preseason. Few peaks or valleys in OBP, most of the players are consistently around 400. There is another obvious link to the Michel franchise of 2007. Vlad and Delgado were both taken by Bill this year. Whether it is a nagging injury he kept quiet about or fear of being implicated as a steroid user, Delgado steeply declined in 2007. Going from one of the most consistent hitters of a generation to another first basemen with twenty something homerun power. Swisher is on his way to becoming a productive second or third outfield option. Varitek only managed sixty-eight RBI even with a potent Red Sox lineup. By season’s end or early into the off season, expect Barry Bonds to be clad in a uniform with horizontal pin stripes.
Pitching Analysis
It was written in 2004 that Bill had built a rotation of soft tossers and it will be repeated again this year. Joe Blanton, while a terrific value as a twelfth round keeper managed only 140 strikeouts in 230 innings. Asking him to win another fourteen games will prove to be a tall order considering the state of the Triple A team in Oakland. Jered Weaver continues to work on his resume’ as his career resembles his brothers at this early stage of his career. Shawn Hill fit into the mold of this staff, posting a respectable ERA and WHIp in 2007, but injuries have since cut him down. Prior and Carpenter are on the rehab trail, a long road they will wander on until July/August. Reports are that Prior has looked great this spring and will be a great keeper so long as he can stay healthy.
Todd Jones is once again the default closer in Detroit. Considering the second option is Fernando Rodney and most of the top prospects on their way to Florida, he should be able to maintain his perch for the season. Gregg projects as a good option on a bad team. Combined, Jones and Gregg should total about seventy saves.
Overall/Prediction
Judging from the current state of his roster, Bill seems to have conceded 2008 in an effort to build for the future. Normally his team is helped with a healthy dose of whoring. Having filled all his bench and DL slots this may not be a viable option.