Results tagged ‘ Rafael Furcal ’
Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Shortstops
Overall rankings will consist of the player’s value in a points format, earning points for each H, R, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, basically a formula of Total Bases + RBI + Runs = Total Value. Here are the rankings for 2B, projections are italicized:
Shortstop is getting to be extremely shallow in fantasy. It is filled with injury risks and aging veterans. Gone are the days of several superstars, which has been gone since ARod moved to third and Nomar was traded to the Cubs.
1. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
.302/.372/.544, 36 2B, 2 3B, 30 HR, 105 RBI, 9 SB in 537 AB
.313/.394/.559, 38 2B, 3 3B, 34 HR, 112 RBI, 4 SB in 589 AB
There is one elite player at this position and Tulowitzki is it. For all of the hype that has gone to Jose Reyes and his mega-Free Agency this offseason, he isn’t the difference maker that Tulo is. He is a power-hitting SS and he will be the only SS with 100 RBI in 2012. If you don’t get him, you’re going to settle for the rest.
2. Starlin Castro, Cubs
.307/.341/.432, 36 2B, 9 3B, 10 HR, 66 RBI, 22 SB in 674 AB
.298/.347/.461, 38 2B, 7 3B, 16 HR, 71 RBI, 18 SB in 647 AB
Castro only had 207 hits in his first full season. He is probably not going to be a long-term hit machine, as he is going to fill into a player with more power, possibly even moving to third base. He is more of a certainty than others who come after him, like…
3. Jose Reyes, Marlins
.337/.384/.493, 31 2B, 16 3B, 7 HR, 44 RBI, 39 SB in 537 AB
.301/.365/.449, 29 2B, 8 3B, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 21 SB in 467 AB
Reyes is an excellent player and a game-changing talent, but he isn’t on the field enough to be taken seriously. While he’s been on the field more than someone like Rickie Weeks in his career, you have to wonder how his speed game is going to hold up as he ages, as it hasn’t held up in his youth. The constant nagging injuries will take away from his value, as will the spacious ballpark that he is going to be playing in from his already non-Tulo power stats. With that being said, he could prove me wrong and repeat what he did in 2011 for several years and be elite…but why would you count on that?
4. Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
.273/.332/.460, 32 2B, 3 3B, 25 HR, 92 RBI, 17 SB in 604 AB
.281/.341/.459, 36 2B, 2 3B, 18 HR, 81 RBI, 13 SB in 587 AB
Well…that came out of nowhere. You have to wonder if this power-hitting, team carrying type of player is here to stay. He was injured for the previous couple of seasons. Can he make adjustments, though? He hit just .244/.310/.419 in the 2nd half of 2011. He’s still well-above average with a decline, but it won’t be as drastic as some believe.
5. J.J. Hardy, Orioles
.269/.310/.491, 27 2B, 30 HR, 80 RBI in 527 AB
.259/.314/.486, 24 2B, 29 HR, 76 RBi in 564 AB
Remember the scoring. He isn’t a top five SS in most leagues due to the average and lack of running ability; however, his power is very, very valuable at his position. Hardy is playing in a bandbox still and he will continue to hit homeruns, post low averages, and strikeout with Mark Reynolds.
6. Jhonny Peralta, Tigers
.299/.345/.478, 25 2B, 3 3B, 21 HR, 86 RBI in 525 AB
.287/.338/.479, 28 2B, 2 3B, 22 HR, 86 RBI in 563 AB
Peralta isn’t a SS…but the Tigers gave up on defense for the offensive power. They may have the worst left side of the infield in the history of baseball in 2012, but fantasy baseball doesn’t count range factor and errors. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs and should build on his successful 2011 season.
7. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies
.268/.338/.399, 22 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, 63 RBI, 30 SB in 567 AB
.280/.340/.411, 26 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR, 68 RBI, 24 SB in 584 AB
J-Roll still has another good year in him, but he is of the same pedigree as Jose Reyes – speed + injuries = worthlessness. Buyer beware, but the Phillies are counting on him to build off of 2011 as the age of their offensive core increases quicker than the National debt.
8. Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays
.290/.369/.413, 24 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 3 SB in 513 AB
.284/.376/.422, 27 2B, 4 3B, 14 HR, 56 RBI, 5 SB in 562 AB
Escobar is a real pain in the ass. He got traded from Atlanta due to attitude issues and seems to not care at times. If he bothered putting out maximum effort, he could rank as high as 3rd on this list. He has quite a lineup around him, so if he puts it all together, don’t be shocked.
9. Derek Jeter, Yankees
.297/.355/.388, 24 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 61 RBI, 16 sB in 546 AB
.307/.364/.408, 29 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 65 RBI, 13 SB in 573 AB
The Captain isn’t as bad as people think. He still posted a decent AVG and OBP last season, though the SLG got ugly quick. He isn’t getting any younger, but he still has the lineup around him and the ability to play every day. He should rebound a bit.
10. Elvis Andrus, Rangers
.279/.347/.361, 27 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 60 RBI, 37 SB in 587 AB
.287/.356/.394, 32 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 64 RBI, 42 SB in 593 AB
Andrus is still very young and is in a fantastic lineup and ballpark. He has a solid eye and should improve upon his 75.5% SB rate. The power is lacking, but he does enough small things to get you points.
11. Erick Aybar, Angels
.279/.322/.421, 33 2B, 8 3B, 10 HR, 59 RBI, 30 SB in 556 AB
.268/.313/.406, 29 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 48 RBI, 24 SB in 498 AB
If Trumbo is going to play third and Mike Scoscia is still in charge, Maicer Izturis is going to steal Aybar’s playing time from time to time. Slight drop-off due to that decrease.
12. Alexei Ramirez, White Sox
.269/.328/.399, 31 2B, 2 3B, 15 HR, 70 RBI, 7 SB in 614 AB
.264/.325/.403, 30 2B, 1 3B, 18 HR, 67 RBI, 5 SB in 598 AB
13. Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks
.252/.317/.396, 21 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 45 RBI, 4 SB in 321 AB
.269/.328/.403, 24 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 61 RBI, 3 SB in 461 AB
Those Drew boys never stay healthy. If he comes back healthy, he could post solid numbers, but he may have issues staying in the lineup due to his last name.
14. Zack Cozart, Reds
.324/.324/.486, 2 HR, 3 RBI in 37 AB
.259/.327/.403, 21 2B, 4 3B, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 6 SB in 498 AB
Sleeper like crazy here. He isn’t going to post an incredible average, but Cozart has some pop and plays in a great offense and ballpark. He could do even more than the numbers listed above…or…Dusty Baker’s veteran-loving-ass could play Paul Janish over him…ugh.
15. Sean Rodriguez, Rays
.223/.323/.357, 20 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 11 SB in 373 AB
.241/.336/.374, 26 2B, 5 3B, 12 HR, 51 RBI, 19 SB in 471 AB
The Rest: Ian Desmond, Nationals; Alex Gonzalez, Brewers; Alcides Escobar, Royals; Jed Lowrie, Astros; Dee Gordon, Dodgers; Jason Bartlett, Padres; Ryan Theriot, Giants; Rafael Furcal, Cardinals; Cliff Pennington, A’s; Mike Aviles, Red Sox;
GM for the Day: St. Louis Cardinals
It’s like having a date with the girl of your dreams and then she ditches you for Justin Bieber. I hate you Bieber…and I’m not a fan of the Cardinals, so this offseason has been kind of interesting. The whining birds will be without the greatest right-handed hitter of our generation, as Albert Pujols left for gobs of cash and the temperate climate that houses the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim-Orange County-California-USA-Planet Earth-Milky Way Galaxy. What’s left and what can the defending champions do? Lets take a look-see at their 25-man roster:
2 Catchers: Yadier Molina and Tony Cruz
1B: Lance Berkman
2B: Daniel Descalso
3B: David Freese
SS: Rafael Furcal
LF: Matt Holliday
CF: Jon Jay
RF: Allen Craig
Bench: Erik Komatsu (OF – Rule 5 pick), Skip Schumaker (INF/OF), Tyler Green (INF), Shane Robinson (OF)
Starting Pitchers: Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse, Jake Westbrook and Adam Wainwright
Relief Pitchers: Jason Motte, Fernando Salas, Lance Lynn, Marc Rzepczynski, Mitchell Boggs, Eduardo Sanchez and Maikel Cleto
The Cardinals need to replace Albert Pujols. You can’t but they have to try. Thinking that David Freese is going to be what he was in the playoffs is stupid. He hit .397 in the postseason, including .545 in the NLCS, hitting five homers and collecting 21 RBI in 18 games. Billy Hatcher once hit .750 in a World Series. He went on to negative WAR (Wins Against Replacement) in five of his last six seasons. They are rumored to be going after Carlos Beltran. They can plug him into right and have Berkman move to first, which is what they would do if they didn’t sign Beltran and they put Allen Craig in right full-time. Craig posted a .917 OPS in 75 games last year, so he deserves a look, but it’s possible the Cardinals need to show signs of life in Free Agency to please “the best fans in baseball.” They’d probably be better off without signing an aging and declining Beltran, isn’t that why they didn’t go to the extent of the Angels on Pujols? Daniel Descalso has an amazing arm and he’ll waste it at second. He always posted solid numbers in the Minors, but if he falters, he’ll share the gig with Schumaker, who is now a super-utility player. The Cards sured up the infield by signing Rafael Furcal to a two-year deal.
With Adam Wainwright coming back from Tommy John, the Cardinals seem very upbeat about their rotation. They are dangling Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse in deals, but neither of them really hold a lot of value. They’ll probably hang on to both veterans and use Shelby Miller, super prospect, as a tool when one of them falter, or if Wainwright hits an innings cap coming off of surgery.
The Cardinals lost a huge piece, more valuable to them than possibly even Pujols when the Astros stole Jeff Luhnow, the Cards Vice President of Scouting and Player Development. He created a system that has Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez, Tyrell Jenkins, Kolten Wong and Oscar Taveras at the top of the list, all potential stars. They’ll be spending the next few years rebuilding the franchise and hoping to stay relevent in a changing division, as the Reds deal with payroll issues due to Votto’s upcoming salary increase and the Brewers lose Prince Fielder, who could end up a Cub!
This is what I would do as the Cardinals GM. The infield is set. You have to work on an extension for Yadier Molina. He will be a Free Agent after 2012 and will be 29 this year. His defensive value isn’t easy to explain but the bat makes him worth a raise and long-term investment. I still can’t understand the Rasmus deal long-term for this team, as his attitude and inability to follow instruction couldn’t have been worth giving up on the talent, could it? They are trusting Jon Jay in center and he is a reasonable option. He has a .784 OPS vs. RHP and .733 OPS vs. LHP, so he doesn’t necessarily need to platoon at this point, but it could change. Holliday is in left due to the crazy contract and he is pretty good, too. I would give Craig a chance if I knew he was healthy, but he isn’t. He is coming off of surgery to his knee and probably won’t be ready until May. Due to that issue, the Cardinals need to gamble on Beltran or another Free Agent capable of playing right. Maybe a reunion with Ryan Ludwick, who posted some amazing stats (.857 OPS) over his earlier three-year stay in St. Louis, would be a solid idea as a stopgap? It wouldn’t be an absurd contract, you wouldn’t have to deal with Scott Boras and you wouldn’t have to invest in a player who has played in just 59% of his team games in the last three seasons. I would sign Ludwick on the cheap, make him a 4th outfielder off the bat, put Berkman in right for a couple of months while Craig works his way back, and give first base to Matt Adams. Adams is 23-years-old and he hit .300/.357/.566 last year, ripping 23 2B, 32 HR and 101 RBI in Double-A. He’s a left-handed bat, which can fit in nicely with Holliday (right) and Berkman (switch) in the middle of the order. If he falters, move him back to Triple-A and put Berkman at first and Craig/Ludwick in right. See what you have. The future in St. Louis needs to happen now.
The rotation is set, you’re not getting anything for the vets and the bullpen is nice. See what Motte can do in the closer role and quit the closer-by-commitee bullcrap that LaRussa has been pulling since he managed the White Sox.
The 25-man roster would be:
2 Catchers: Yadier Molina and Tony Cruz
1B: Matt Adams
2B: Daniel Descalso
3B: David Freese
SS: Rafael Furcal
LF: Matt Holliday
CF: Jon Jay
RF: Lance Berkman
Bench: Skip Schumaker (INF/OF), Allen Craig (INF/OF), Ryan Ludwick (LF/RF), Tyler Green (2B/SS)
Starting Pitchers: Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook
Relief Pitchers: Jason Motte, Fernando Salas, Lance Lynn, Marc Rzepczynski, Mitchell Boggs, Eduardo Sanchez and Maikel Cleto
2012 MLB Vesting Options
The following players had options for 2012. Lets see where they stand…
Bobby Abreu - $9 million option vested at 433 plate appearances
Abreu has made 532 appearances. It would have been interesting to see what the Angels could have done next season with Mike Trout somewhere in the outfield, but Vernon Wells, Abreu (who has played 28 games in the outfield), and Torii Hunter (who will be a Free Agent after 2012) will be joined by Peter Bourjos as Angels in the outfield next season.
Adam Wainwright - $9 million in 2012 (if he is top 5 in Cy Young for 2010) and $12 million in 2013 if he doesn’t end 2011 on the Disabled List
Well, Wainwright will be an interesting case. His 2013 option won’t automatically vest due to his Tommy John surgery and recovery, but his 2012 option vested when he was 2nd in the National League Cy Young voting in 2010. Wainwright underwent surgery in February and will be ready for Spring Training. He should have his first bullpen session in the next week. If he comes back as half the pitcher he was before the injury, he’ll be a bargain…when compared to A.J. Burnett.
Aramis Ramirez - $11 million option vests if he wins the MVP in the National League or League Championship Series, OR if he is traded.
Ramirez was close to getting traded at the deadline until he went schizophrenic about his full no-trade clause and flip-flopped like a politician on whether he was willing to leave or force his stay in Chicago. Someone should be able to get the soon-to-be 34-year-old for close to that this offseason. With the weak third base market, he could force an extra year or two on his contract.
Rafael Furcal - $12 million option vests with 600 plate appearances
Furcal wasn’t EVER going to get to 600 plate appearances. He’s injured about as much as Jose Reyes the last couple of seasons. He’s had 726 plate appearances since the beginning of 2010. He “wants” to stay in St. Louis, apparently, but he’ll probably “want” the most money he can get in his last chance for a multi-year deal.
Jon Garland - $8 million option vests with 190 innings pitched.
This looked like a great deal for Garland, who hadn’t thrown fewer than 191 1/3 innings since he became a full-time starter in 2002. All of those innings caught up to him, though, as he needed shoulder surgery in July. He’ll be on the shelf for nearly six months, so another incentive laden contract will be in the 32-year-old’s future this offseason.
Francisco Rodriguez - $17.5 million option vests with 55 games finished.
Ron Roenicke said that he was going to give K-Rod some closing opportunities when the deal with the Mets went down. He has finished one game since the trade. I guess Doug Melvin and Brewers ownership let him know how things were going to go. There was no way in God’s green Earth that the Brewers were going to take a chance like that and pay a “closer” $17.5 million when they have Prince Fielder on the way out the door this winter. Rodriguez has finished 35 games this season and won’t come much closer to that vesting option.
Joakim Soria - $6 million option vests with 55 appearances.
“The Mexicutioner” (quite possibly the coolest nickname EVER) has already made 58 appearances, allowing the Royals to have another year of an elite closer at a discount price. Soria has had a down year when compared to his first four seasons, but his value is still evident. He has an $8 million team option for 2013 and $8.75 million in 2014, each with $750,000 buyouts. It wouldn’t be surprising for him to be dealt by the deadline next year, especially if Aaron Crow stays in the bullpen and becomes closer-worthy.
