Roster moves have begun, and Dylan Bundy is a casualty. The Baltimore Orioles sent their 20-year old pitching prospect (the consensus #2 prospect) to their Double-A Bowie affiliate. Chances are Bundy will still be on a fast track to the majors. Considering the current Orioles rotation, I like the chances of seeing Bundy in the majors in 2013.
Another top pitching prospect who has fallen short of a rotation spot is Trevor Bauer of the Cleveland Indians. Bauer was acquired by the Indians from the Arizona Diamondbacks last season and could be the team’s future ace, however, the re-emergence of Scott Kazmir has but a small bump in the road for Bauer. Bauer will get a shot in the rotation in 2013, but he has to show some patience.
Shelby Miller is also awaiting word from the Cardinals on his fate. Miller has been in a competition with Joe Kelly for the final rotation spot in St. Louis. The Cardinals may give Kelly a shot before ultimately handing the ball over to Miller. Miller has all the tools to be the teams future ace.
I mention Miller, Bauer and Bundy because the three are being drafted in many fantasy baseball leagues. They are worth taking in dynasty leagues, and leagues with deep benches.
One young starter who has potentially sealed his rotation spots is Gerrit Cole of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 1st overall pick in the 2011 entry draft looks poised to show what he can do at the major league level.
Alex Cobb is yet another young starter to emerge from the Tampa Bay Rays farm system. Cobb has been solid in spring training and is likely going to break camp with the big club.
Julio Teheran spring training probably has impressed the Atlanta Braves enough to keep the youngster on their big league roster. All three of these players should see their Average Draft Position climb over the next two weeks as rosters become smaller.
Can people give Ricky Romero a break? J.A. Happ has had a spectacular spring which is putting a lot of pressure on Romero, who has gone from the Toronto Blue Jays ace in 2012 to the fifth starter in 2013. Hearing Romero during interviews, it’s clear that what’s bothering Romero is more than physical. Loyality is keeping Romero in the Jays; rotation for the time being. It’s up to Romero to work it out between now and his first start, because if he doesn’t improve J.A. Happ will get his dues and join the rotation.
Speaking of Romero, I was thinking that the Jays could have a potential trade partner in the New York Yankees (gawd forbid an inter-divisional trade). The Yankees have plenty of needs, but none more than in the outfield, firstbase and the starting rotation. The Jays…happen to a possible surplus in those position – with major league ready players. Would the Yankees entertain an offer for Robinson Cano (who is in a contract year) in exchange for Adam Lind, Colby Rasmus and oh…Ricky Romero? Cano has been playing with Jose Reyes on the Dominican Republic team during the World Baseball Classic. It’s just a thought and probably would never happen, but damn it if wouldn’t help both teams.
As for those Yankee injuries, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira have both seen their ADP plummet since major online fantasy leagues opened for registration and drafting. In one league that I have long participated in, Alex Rodriguez almost went undrafted for the first time since his rookie season. I still think Granderson is a worthwhile gamble, but Teixeira’s injury should really concern fantasy owners. This sounds similar to Jose Bautista’s injury from last season, so Teixeira’s return could be short-lived. Carl Crawford seems to be making progress with his injury problems. He is slated to serve as the designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a spring training game on Sunday. David Ortiz is still dealing with his achilles injury. Brian McCann return looks to be on course. McCann is expected to miss at the first two weeks of the season for the Braves.
Tomorrow I’ll review my picks from the League of Champions (LoC) 2013 Draft. This league has been in existence since 2007 and is the most competitive league I’m in. I think by using this as a platform, I can better explain some of the logic and tactics I employ when approaching fantasy baseball – for me, it’s a science.
Background Notes about “League of Champions”: While we could hold an online draft for this league, we have opted to make it a live draft format. Managers are mostly from the Ottawa, Ontario region but we have managers from Toronto and Kingston as well. In previous seasons, this league has had as many as 18 teams (we are now at the solid 12 team state) which made drafting far more interesting in the early days of the league. This is a re-draft league and includes a deep bench (9 total bench spots). The LoC is one of the leagues that I will be reporting on periodically throughout the season.
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Photo Credit: www.tagsgf.com, CC
