A Review of My 2015 Fantasy Baseball Draft - Part 2

Last week, we had our annual fantasy baseball draft, and it sure was a doozy. I am going to break it down round-by-round in three separate parts (this is part two), but before we get started, I have given each team a nickname based on the jobber that they most represent. Here are my explanations.

Norman Smiley – Because my dance moves are sick.
Vinnie Vegas - This guy is a gambler, and I respect that.
3 Count - This guy looked like a boy band member in high school, so this is fitting.
Eugene - Idiot who tries to take other people's gimmicks, but he can't pull it off.
LA Gore - If you told me LA Gore was his real Dad, it would explain so much. He ruined his family line of being man enough to wear cutoff jean shorts.
Dr. Isaac Yankem, D.D.S. - I have no idea who this clown is, but somebody else referred to him as "a doctor, but not a real doctor." That describes dentists pretty well.
Bob Backlund - Crafty, sometimes unintelligible, but shockingly effective as he kicked ass in the 2014 season.
El Dandy - He's Mexican, and Bret Hart let us know that he should not be underestimated.
Zack Ryder - Had a moment of glory, but is now firmly stuck in jobber territory.
GI Bro - He thinks he's like Booker T, but he's just a cheap knockoff.
Viscera - Large and sexually charged. Has glasses that are referred to as "The Big Nasties."
Kerwin White - Shockingly good at golf.

You can check out the first part here, but now onto part two:

Round: 9 (Keepers: Jose Abreu)
(97) Kerwin White - Evan Gattis C
(98) Vinnie Vegas - David Wright 3B
(99) 3 Count - Elvis Andrus SS
(100) Eugene - Brett Gardner CF
(101) LA Gore - Lance Lynn SP
(102) Dr. Isaac Yankem, DDS - Ryan Zimmerman 3B
(103) Bob Backlund - David Robertson RP
(104) El Dandy - Dellin Betances RP
(105) Zack Ryder - Michael Wacha SP
(106) GI Bro - Doug Fister SP
(107) Viscera - Ben Zobrist 2B
(108) Norman Smiley - Jose Abreu 1B
Best Pick: David Wright
David Wright had a really terrible year last year, but he definitely has the potential to bounce back to get to his 2013 form. He has been a very good player for a long time, and I think he is probably going to at least produce around the 100th most value this year, but he has the potential to be about 30 spots higher than that.

Worst Pick: Lance Lynn
I feel like Lynn reached his ceiling last year, and that is what you have to be expecting to draft him this high. He is a big time regression candidate, and there were a lot more exciting options available at this point, including his teammate, Michael Wacha.

My Pick: Jose Abreu
Bravo to me picking Jose Abreu in the 11th round last year. Kind of a no-brainer to keep him.

Round: 10
(109) Norman Smiley - Jose Fernandez SP
(110) Viscera - Alex Wood SP
(111) GI Bro - Rusney Castillo CF
(112) Zack Ryder - Jimmy Rollins SS
(113) El Dandy - Mat Latos SP
(114) Bob Backlund - Charlie Blackmon RF
(115) Dr. Isaac Yankem, DDS - Mark Melancon RP
(116) LA Gore - Daniel Murphy 2B
(117) Eugene - Cody Allen RP
(118) 3 Count - Hyun-Jin Ryu SP
(119) Vinnie Vegas - Josh Harrison RF
(120) Kerwin White - Matt Adams 1B
Best Pick: Alex Wood
For some strange reason, Alex Wood got removed from the Braves rotation for part of the season despite being one of their best pitchers. He got back in the rotation and dominated some more. With him definitely having a spot in the rotation, I think he will provide excellent value for the 10th round.

Worst Pick: Jimmy Rollins
Again, there are a lot of middle infielders that I would rather have than Rollins, as I see no upside in the pick but plenty of room for downside.

My Pick: Jose Fernandez
I try my best to be diabolical when it comes to fantasy sports. If there is a loophole, I want to find a way to exploit it. If there is any edge I can find, I will find it, and I will not feel bad about it; in fact, it will raise my self-esteem. I had a feeling that GI Bro wanted a player, so I casually threw out a trade offer to Kerwin White, plainly explained how I wanted to use his pick to screw over Xavier, and sure enough, Dempsey was in on the plan. We swapped our 10th and 11th round picks, and I chose Jose Fernandez, who Woods was planning on drafting with his next selection. Oh, and I still like Jose Fernandez. Yeah, he's out for the first couple months, and yeah, pitchers struggle with command when they come back, but those are normal pitchers. Jose Fernandez is a freak, in the most positive way possible, and if anybody can come back and dominate, it is going to be him.

Round: 11 (Keepers: Nelson Cruz)
(121) Kerwin White - J.D. Martinez LF
(122) Vinnie Vegas - Neil Walker 2B
(123) 3 Count - Alex Rios RF
(124) Eugene - Salvador Perez C
(125) LA Gore - Nelson Cruz LF
(126) Dr. Isaac Yankem, DDS - Chase Utley 2B
(127) Bob Backlund - Lucas Duda 1B
(128) El Dandy - Yadier Molina C
(129) Zack Ryder - Pedro Alvarez 3B
(130) GI Bro - Melky Cabrera LF
(131) Viscera - Trevor Plouffe 3B
(132) Norman Smiley - Xander Bogaerts 3B
Best Pick: J.D. Martinez
Matinez seemed like a guy that may have just had a couple good months in Houston and his career had fizzled. Then he made some mechanical changes in Detroit and set the world on fire. If those changes are real, then this is great value. I doubt he's quite as good as last year, but he probably won't fall off as much as others may expect.

Worst Pick: Chase Utley
I hate doing this, because I LOVE Chase Utley. Even had him on my team last year. He had a really nice year for Chase Utley at this stage in his career, and that made him about the 120th most valuable player. That was when his body held up for the most part and he played about as well as can be expected. This pick lacks any upside, but because of age, provides significant downside.

My Pick: Xander Bogaerts
So my incredible plan to screw over GI Bro worked doubly well with the second half of that trade with Kerwin White. Full disclosure, GI Bro's real team name is Xandy Brogaerts, yet he did not get his man. He must feel like a pathetic loser, and he has implied to me as much. But I really like Bogaerts to live up to the promise he showed before last season. Going back to his original position will help him feel more comfortable and just having a year under his belt where he had to deal with struggles will lead him to success.

Round: 12 (Keepers: Aroldis Chapman, Christian Yelich)
(133) Kerwin White - Jayson Werth RF
(134) Viscera - Ian Kennedy SP
(135) GI Bro - Wil Myers RF
(136) Zack Ryder - Aroldis Chapman RP
(137) El Dandy - Adam LaRoche 1B
(138) Bob Backlund - Ben Revere CF
(139) Dr. Isaac Yankem, DDS - A.J. Pollock CF
(140) LA Gore - Francisco Liriano SP
(141) Eugene - Howie Kendrick 2B
(142) 3 Count - Kenley Jansen RP
(143) Norman Smiley - Christian Yelich LF
(144) Norman Smiley - Trevor Rosenthal RP
Best Pick: Ben Revere
Is there really a difference between Revere and Chris Carter? I mean, yes, they are completely different players, but they are both excellent in one category, Revere in stolen bases, and Carter in home runs. Carter will get more RBI, Revere more runs. And yes, stolen bases are easier to come by, but the difference in batting average is probably enough to make up for that. Ben Revere isn't a very fun guy to have on your team, but he is an effective one.

Worst Pick: Kenley Jansen
I don't know how you take an injured closer over a healthy one, and there were plenty of healthy ones on the board. In fact, I picked one of them two spots later.

My Picks: Christian Yelich and Trevor Rosenthal
I managed to get an extra 11th round pick for a basketball trade, and then I turned that pick into Christian Yelich in the 12th, because Vinnie Vegas only wanted to keep Javier Baez, so he traded back up to the 11th, and I got Yelich at a steep discount. Nothing more to say there except I'm a genius.

I cannot express how undervalued closers are in this league. Rosenthal was just sitting there, and it came to the point where it was dumb not to draft him. Greg Holland had a historic fall last year, but to get Rosenthal at the end of 12 provides great value and gets my bullpen started in a nice way.

Round: 13 (Keepers: Johnny Cueto)
(145) Norman Smiley - Anibal Sanchez SP
(146) Vinnie Vegas - Andrew Cashner SP
(147) 3 Count - Homer Bailey SP
(148) Eugene - Yordano Ventura SP
(149) LA Gore - Johnny Cueto SP
(150) Dr. Isaac Yankem, DDS - Shin-Soo Choo LF
(151) Bob Backlund - Jose Quintana SP
(152) El Dandy - Fernando Rodney RP
(153) Zack Ryder - Michael Pineda SP
(154) GI Bro - Russell Martin C
(155) Viscera - Oswaldo Arcia RF
(156) Kerwin White - Joc Pederson LF
Best Pick: Shin-Soo Choo
There were some pitchers I liked in this round, but I think Choo will bounce back and get near his old established levels. This is the part of the draft where hitting starts to thin out while plenty of pitching is still available, so I Choo Choo Choose Choo as the best pick in this round.

Worst Pick: Russell Martin
I feel like Russell Martin is just as valuable of a catcher as the next 10-12 guys that went after him. Is he really going to provide more than Yasmani Grandal or Wilson Ramos? I really doubt it, and catching is tough, so they can fade fast, and Martin is no spring chicken.

My Pick: Anibal Sanchez
This was a tough decision, as there were a few guys who could provide similar value. Sanchez's health is definitely a concern, but he has shown the ability to make it through a season fully healthy, and I'm hoping he can repeat that. I strongly considered Yordano Ventura, and even now I can see the merits of either pick.

Round: 14
(157) Kerwin White - Jhonny Peralta SS
(158) Viscera - Justin Verlander SP
(159) GI Bro - Khris Davis LF
(160) Zack Ryder - Austin Jackson CF
(161) El Dandy - Zach Britton RP
(162) Bob Backlund - Jedd Gyorko 2B
(163) Dr. Isaac Yankem, DDS - Jered Weaver SP
(164) LA Gore - Collin McHugh SP
(165) Eugene - Alcides Escobar SS
(166) 3 Count - Martin Prado 3B
(167) Vinnie Vegas - Eric Hosmer 1B
(168) Norman Smiley - Danny Salazar SP
Best Pick: Jedd Gyorko
I love Jedd Gyorko. I loved him last year, and it was tough to see him go this year, but there were a few middle infielders still high on my board, so I passed him by. I think he bounces back and gets back to his 2013 levels, but it's probably for the best that we separate for a while, as it will make our reunion all that more wonderful.

Worst Pick: Justin Verlander
Stick a fork in him; he's done (as a top level pitcher). His ceiling means he could be about the 150th most valuable player, but that ain't nothing to hang your hat on.

My Pick: Danny Salazar
So, this is definitely the worst pick in the draft, as the Indians sent him down, and I dropped him to pick up Daniel Norris, but before that happened, I wrote this ballad:
Oh, Danny boy, my team, my team is drafting, from round to round, one day you'll be mine. I have no idea the melody of the song from there, but Salazar is a guy everybody loved last year, and I love him again this year, maybe even more. I think he lives up to his potential this season, as he really put things together at the end of last year.

Round: 15 (Keepers: Brian Dozier)
(169) Norman Smiley - Jean Segura SS
(170) Vinnie Vegas - Yan Gomes C
(171) 3 Count - Justin Morneau 1B
(172) Eugene - Jake Odorizzi SP
(173) LA Gore - Dallas Keuchel SP
(174) Dr. Isaac Yankem, DDS - Rick Porcello SP
(175) Bob Backlund - Erick Aybar SS
(176) El Dandy - Curtis Granderson RF
(177) Zack Ryder - Joe Mauer 1B
(178) GI Bro - Brian Dozier 2B
(179) Viscera - Glen Perkins RP
(180) Kerwin White - Rougned Odor 2B
Best Pick: Jake Odorizzi
I really like Odorizzi this year. He really put it together after a rough start last year, and there is no reason to expect him to regress. I could definitely see him going about 50 picks higher next year.

Worst Pick: Justin Morneau
Although I used to refer to him as Justin MorYES, those days are long since gone. He was good last year, but he is going to be in a platoon situation, and he'll be another year older which means more worries about regression and injuries.

My Pick: Jean Segura
I took Segura to finish out my middle infield. He was excellent in the first half of 2013 before fading towards the end. I think a lot of his fade had to do wit him being in the majors for the first time, so I don't see that as being an issue. As for 2014, it was a total disaster of a year, especially off the field. I think he gets back to slightly below where his 2013 numbers ended up, and I have no doubt that he'll be incredibly valuable in the steals department.

Round: 16
(181) Kerwin White - Yasmany Tomas RF
(182) Viscera - Asdrubal Cabrera SS
(183) GI Bro - Koji Uehara RP
(184) Zack Ryder - Steve Cishek RP
(185) El Dandy - Danny Santana SS
(186) Bob Backlund - Shelby Miller SP
(187) Dr. Isaac Yankem, DDS - Drew Storen RP
(188) LA Gore - Michael Cuddyer RF
(189) Eugene - Steve Pearce 1B
(190) 3 Count - Matt Cain SP
(191) Vinnie Vegas - Lorenzo Cain CF
(192) Norman Smiley - Drew Hutchison SP
Best Pick: Shelby Miller
I think Miller could take a huge step forward this year, so I was very disappointed that he was snagged before I could take him at the end of the round. The stuff has always been there, but his command has come and gone. I think he settled down last year, and I think his stuff could take him to another level.

Worst Pick: Yasmany Tomas
I think this is a total hype pick as all the other Cubans have been dominating, so why not this guy? He might turn into a good player, but I think it is going to take some seasoning in the minor leagues, and the bat isn't enough of a guarantee to hang on to him.

My Pick: Drew Hutchison

A solid Plan B. Hutchison is a guy that a lot of the fantasy gurus (who all know just as much as you and me) are touting for this season, which really angered me, because had they not, I probably could have gotten him four rounds later. Anyway, Hutchison has a lot of statistical markers that he could be much better this season than he was last year, and I got a Blue Jay pitcher after the unfortunate injury to Marcus Stroman.

And that wraps up Part 2. Part 3 should be up in a couple days.

The Longest Fantasy Baseball Story Ever Told - Part Two

We last left off this story right after the draft. A lot of people believe that a strong draft is the way to build a championship team. I believe that the draft is the first chapter of a long book, and I will trade my mother if I think I can get good value.

So the first thing that I did after the draft was get myself a real shortstop and got Chris Owings. I also took advantage of 3 DL spots, so I could add Derek Holland and pick up Tanner Scheppers to start for my team on Opening Day. I added Tyler Skaggs and immediately dropped him after his first start. So, yeah, my early pickups did not pay off, but the 25 pickups didn't start until halfway through week one, so I was still fine. I did manage to pickup Nate Eovaldi early on who had some good moments before falling apart in the second half, but he would stay with my team for a very long time.

Halfway through the second week of the season, I was convinced that Ryan Braun was not going to be healthy enough to tap into his power potential and began my efforts to trade him. It would take me nearly two months to trade him, but it would be worth it when it finally happened.

Anyway, things were going shockingly well for my team in the standings. Nate Eovaldi and Chris Tillman helped lead my pitching and carry the team to victory in Week 1. After that, both Jose Abreu and Justin Upton had four home runs to help my offense carry me to a victory in Week 2. In Week 3, BJ Upton's three steals and multi-homer weeks from Votto, Moustakas, and Braun helped me enough to pull off a tie. In Week 4, Jose Abreu hit five home runs, and Chris Carter added three in what may have been his only valuable week during the first half of the season. After the first month, I was 3-0-1.

I also wisely Brandon McCarthy twice in this span, but don't worry, I would drop him before he actually got things turned around and started dominating. I did pick up Hector Rondon who solidified my relievers and also Drew Hutchsion who had some nice moments throughout the year. Unfortunately, my luck was about to run out.

In Week 5, my offense completely shit the bed, and my pitching wasn't much better. In Week 6, we got a lot of strikeouts and home runs but didn't do much else for another loss. In Week 7, Hutchison, Tillman, and Tanaka all threw complete game shutouts, but that was still only enough to get me a tie.

Week 7 also marked Danny Salazar being sent to the minors who I replaced with Jaime Garcia. I immediately tried to trade him for an underperforming Pablo Sandoval. The owner told me that it was close, but he needed a solid third base option in return. A few days later, I noticed that David Freese was coming off the DL. One minute after adding Freese, I made an offer of Freese and Garcia for Sandoval which was enough to get the job done two hours later.

I traded Jaime Garcia and David Freese for Pablo Sandoval.

I turned two free agent pickups into a hitter that was just about to get over his cold streak and hit very well for the rest of the season, so that worked out well.

Still, things were not going so well in the standings. Pablo Sandoval did help in his first week with multiple homers, and Justin Upton added three to get me my first win in a month. After that, I didn't have enough to win despite double-digit strikeouts from Tillman, Hamels, Greinke, and even David Robertson.

I was ten weeks into the season, and my team was 4-4-2. If the season ended today, I was in the playoffs, but there were a lot of holes in my roster and the guys that I bet on just didn't seem to be paying off. I was ready to make a change, and change was going to be drastic.

Tune in next time for part three of the longest fantasy baseball story ever told.