Fantasy Baseball 2012- Catcher Rankings

Here you guys go….       NOTE: Jesus Montero isn’t a catcher in ESPN or Yahoo leagues but if he does end up catching he would rank in between Miguel Montero and JP Arenciba and the round is the ideal spot I would draft them if all fits and W means waiver wire, which means I wouldn’t draft them.  Stock is the direction they’re headed in.

RANK	PLAYER	ROUND	TIER	$	STOCK
1	Mike Napoli	5	1	21	Same
2	Brian McCann	5	1	19	Up
3	Carlos Santana	5	1	19	Up
4	Buster Posey	7	2	18	Up
5	Joe Mauer	7	2	15	Down
6	Alex Avila	9	2	13	Up
7	Matt Wieters	10	2	12	Up
8	Miguel Montero	10	2	12	Up
9	JP Arenciba	13	3	8	Same
10	Yadier Molina	14	3	7	Same
11	Wilson Ramos	16	3	7	Up
12	Geovany Soto	16	3	6	Down
13	Kurt Suzuki	17	4	4	Down
14	Chris Ianetta	18	4	3	Same
15	Salvador Perez	118	4	3	Up
16	Jonathan Lucroy	20	4	3	Same
17	Russell Martin	20	4	2	Same
18	Ryan Doumit	21	4	2	Same
19	Devin Mesoraco	21	4	2	Up
20	Ramon Hernandez	22	4	2	Same
21	Carlos Ruiz	23	5	1	Same
22	Miguel Olivo	23	5	1	Same
23	Jarrod Saltalamachhia	24	5	1	Up
24	AJ Pierzynski	24	5	1	Same
25	John Buck	25	5	1	Same
26	Nick Hundley	26	5	0	Same
27	Josh Thole	27	5	0	Same
28	Rod Barajas	27	5	0	Same
29	Tyler Flowers	28	5	0	Up
30	Hank Conger	28	5	0	Up
31	Wilin Rosario	29	6	0	Up
32	Jose Molina	29	6	0	Same
33	Ryan Hanigan	30	6	0	Same
34	Kelly Schoppach	30	6	0	Same
35	Jason Castro	30	6	0	Up
36	Matt Treanor	30	6	0	Down
37	Francisco Cervelli	30	6	0	Same
38	AJ Ellis	30	6	0	Up
39	John Jaso	W	6	0	Down
40	Yorvit Torrelba	W	6	0	Same
41	Bryan Pena	W	7	0	Same
42	David Ross	W	7	0	Same
43	Lou Marson	W	7	0	Same
44	Jesus Flores	W	7	0	Same
45	Ryan Lavarnway	W	7	0	Up
46	Humberto Quintero	W	7	0	Same
47	Henry Blanco	W	7	0	Same
48	Derek Norris	W	7	0	Up
49	Gerald Laird	W	7	0	Same
50	Jose Loabton	W	7	0	Same
51	George Kotaras	W	7	0	Same
52	Robinson Chrinos	W	7	0	Up
53	Brett Hayes	W	7	0	Same
54	Tony Cruz	W	7	0	Same
55	Chris Snyder	W	7	0	Down
56	Michael McHenry	W	7	0	Same
57	Ivan Rodriguez	W	7	0	Down
58	Eli Whiteside	W	7	0	Down

Better, Worse, or The Same: Rangers

Mike Napoli- Worse, but still good
Yorvit Torrelba- Same
Mitch Moreland- Better
Ian Kinsler- Same
Elvis Andrus- Better
Adrain Beltre- Same
Nelson Cruz- Same
Josh Hamilton- Same
David Murphy- Same
Craig Gentry- Worse
Michael Young- Worse
Brandon Snyder- Same
Julio Borbon- Better
Conor Jackson- Same
Leonys Martin- Better
Alberto Gonzlaez- Worse

Yu Darvish- Good
Neftali Feliz- Better, as a starter
Matt Harrison- Worse
Derek Holland- Better
Colby Lewis- Same
Joe Nathan- Same
Alexei Ogando- Worse
Koji Uehara- Worse
Mike Adams- Same
Yohinori Tateyama- Same
Scott Feldman- Same
Mark Hamburger-Better
Mark Lowe- Better, not too much
Michael Kirkman- Better

Better, Worse or The Same: Cardinals- 2012

Yadier Molina- Same
Tony Cruz- Better, in a backup sense
Lance Berkman- Worse, but still good
Skip Schumaker- Better
Rafael Furcal- Better
David Freese- Better
Carlos Beltran- Better
Jon Jay- Same
Matt Holliday- Same
Allen Craig- Better
Daniel Descalso- Same
Tyler Greene- Better
Adron Chambers- Worse, but good fifth outfielder
Pete Kozma- Better
Mark Hamilton- Same

Adam Wainwright- Same, as 2010
Chris Carpenter- Same
Jamie Garcia- Same
Kyle Lohse- Worse
Jake Westbrook- Same
Jason Motte- Better
Fernando Salas- Same
Kyle McClellan- Same
Mitchell Boggs- Same
JC Romero- Worse
Marc Rzepczynski- Same
Lance Lynn- Same
Eduardo Sanchez- Worse, but still great
Maikel Cleto- Better
Adam Ottavino- Better, but still not that good

Better, Worse, or the Same? 2012- Red Sox

Red Sox version…

Kelly Schoppach- Better
Jarrod Slatalamachhia- Better
Adrian Gonzalez- Better
Dustin Pedroia- Same
Nick Punto- Worse
Mike Aviles- Better
Kevin Youkilis- Same
Carl Crawford- Better
Jacoby Ellsbury- Worse, but still good
Ryan Sweeney- Better
Cody Ross- Better
Darnell McDonald- Worse
Ryan Kalish- Better
David Ortiz- Same

Jon Lester- Better
Josh Beckett- Worse, but still good
Clay Buchholz- Better than 2011, but worse than 2010
Alfredo Aceves- Same, a little worse if starting
Daniel Bard- Same
Andrew Bailey- Better
Mark Melancon- Same
Bobby Jenks- Good, but not really good
Matt Albers- Same
Rich Hill- Same
Andrew Miller- Same
Franklin Morales- Better
Clayton Mortenson- Same
Michael Bowden- Same
Chris J Carpenter- Same
Junichi Tazawa- Better, but still not good

Better, Worse or The Same 2012- Yankees

Yankees will be a threat again and will have some great seasons from a lot of players.

Russell Martin: Worse
Francisco Cervelli: Better
Mark Teixeira: Better
Robinson Cano: Better
Derek Jeter: Better
Alex Rodriguez: Better
Eduardo Nunez: Same
Raul Ibanez: Better
Eric Chavez: Same
Curtis Granderson: Worse, but still very good
Brett Gardner: Same
Nick Swisher: Worse
Chris Dickerson: Same
Andruw Jones; Worse
Russ Branyan: Same
Bill Hall: Same
Brandon Laird: Same

CC Sabathia; Better
Michael Pineda: Better
Huroki Kuroda: Worse, but still good
Ivan Nova: Worse
Freddy Garcia: Worse
Phil Hughes: Better
Joba Chamberlain: Same
Rafael Soriano: Same
David Robertson: Worse, but still good
Mariano Rivera: Same
Clay Rapada: Same
Boone Logan: Same
Cory Wade: Worse
George Kontos: Worse
Dellin Betances: Better

Better, Worse. Or Same 2011- Rays

Here we go witht he Rays version… (Just because a superstar is worse doesn’t mean he will be bad it just means he will have a worse performance than in 2011 and vise versa with a below average player)

Jose Molina: Same
Robinson Chirnos: Better
Jose Lobaton: Better
Carlos Pena: Same
Sean Rodriguez: Better
Jeff Keppinger: Better
Ben Zobrist: Better
Evan Longoria: Better
Reid Brignac: Better
Desmond Jennings: Better
Matt Joyce: Worse, just a litte
Sam Fuld: Same
Luke Scott: Better
BJ Upton: Better
Brandon Guyer: Better

James Shields: Same
David Price: Better
Matt Moore: Better
Jeremy Hellickson: Same
Wade Davis: Same but maybe Better
Jeff Niemann: Worse
Burke Badenhop: Same
JP Howell: Same
Fernando Rodney: Worse
Joel Perlata: Same
Jake McGee: Better
Cesar Ramos: Better
Josh Lueke: Same
Kyle Farnsworth: Same
Brandon Gomes: Better

This team is great all-around, look for an increase in wins

Marlins Question 2: Is The Bench Good Enough?

How important is the bench you ask?  Must be pretty important because the Cardinals had a great bench last year with guys like Punto, Descalso, Craig and Laird or in 2010 when the Giants had Fontenot, Guillen, Rowand, Schierholtz or the guy who hit the big HR Edgar Renteria.  even the Yankees had a great bench in 2009 with Cervelli, Francisco Pena, Gardner, Molina or Hinske.  The Marlins need a good bench in 2012 and they might just have it.  Let’s take a look

Brett Hayes- He’s not really good but in a back-up catcher you don;t need that, you just need a guy who can fill in 6-7 times a month without hurting you and Hayes is that.  He’s a classic back-up catcher and has some good defense and his hitting won;t be great but he can get some timely hits and not kill you behind the plate.  Hayes WAR, or how much better he’d be than a AAA guy, will be about 0.5, which is okay for a backup catcher and he has a 5 Win Shares, a Bill James stat in which each player is award a share for his contributions in however many games the team wins, his career and could get 3 or 4 more this year.  He passes the test

Chris Coghlan- A former ROY winner who has been moved around the diamond and hampered by injuries, he should prove himself this year.  He will likely split time with Emilio Bonifacio, though Boni will get more playing time and he will be a pretty good super utility player.  He may not be as good as what his rookie year was ever again but he could be a successful big leaguer and put up some good numbers in right around 100 games, this year and beyond.  This year he should do well but may run into some slumps, but he’s to good to be affected too much.  He passes the test.

Greg Dobbs- A former World Champ on the Phillies he has shown he can be a great bench guy who can pinch hit well and fill in pretty good and he got off to a great start last year and expect a decent start again and he will be the Marlins best pinch hitter and do his job very well.  He has shown time and time again he can do it in his career and be a winner.  He should have in between 6 and 7 win shares if his history proves correct and passes the test of being a good bench guy even though he’s older.

Bryan Petersen- He’s the Marlins fourth outfielder and a decent and up and coming outfielder, but he will probably never start.  He could carve out a good big league career and it starts this year.  He hit .265 last year and may improve on that by 5 points or so and be a decent hitter for a backup and could get up to 10 Win Shares this season and should get better and be right around average on defense.  I like him as a fourth outfielder and he passes.

Donnie Murphy- A career journeyman who latched on with the Marlins after some clutch hits, Murphy should regress some but he should still have some good moments.  His stats don;t look to promising but if he can get above the Mendoza line he could stick with his versatility.  He borderline on passing for me but not everyone ahs to pass or even be great as long as the make some small contributions and he should.

ALSO: Matt Dominguez should see time at some point and his hitting is a little above average so in his time he may make a pretty good player and Scott Cousins is decent and once he gets a shot he could do okay too

The Marlins bench isn’t the best but it’s above average and should do the job and maybe some more.  Having a good bench doesn’t mean everything but it’s a small key to being good.

NL EAST BENCH RANKINGS

1. Phillies
2. Marlins
3. Mets
4. Nationals
5. Braves

 

Five Moves Tigers Could Make That Could Help

The Tigers are a great team and have a great chance to win the World Series but they have some small holes and here are some moves that may help some, but I wouldn’t make all of them or maybe none but all could work.  I would only do 1 of the following trades for sure too.

1. Sign a Slugger for the Bench Magglio Ordonez needs a team and the Tigers need a DH, it may be his best option and he could just start 3 or 4 times a week and be a pretty good player.  Marcus Thames could do the same , except on a smaller scale and has done very well in Detroit and could have a great year for the Tigers.  Xavier Nady is a good bench player to think about too.  If I signed on of them it’d be to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training and my choice of player would be Ordonez, Thames then Nady
2. Sign A Relief Pitcher- Just as an insurance option, especially with Albuquerque out until mid-July.  Michael Wuertz is one of the better options, but David Aardsma is younger and better and then there is always Mike Gonzalez who is pretty good and could have a good year.  I’d take Aardsma, Gonzalez and then Wuertz in that order and sign them to a minor league deal with an invite once again, if I signed one of them
3. Trade for Chone Figgins in exchange for 8 million dollars and SS Cale Iorg- The M’s may dump him but it seems as if he may hit leadoff, which may help him get better but if he falters during Spring this could work, the M’s get a once promising prospect who may just need a new teams and dump Figgins and the Tigers get a great second baseman and a guy who has speed and could return to his old self, for the most part
4. Tigers Acquire Jeff Baker from Cubs for RP Dan Bennett and 1B Ryan Strieby- The Cubs get a power hitter who may do well at Wrigley and a guy who could contribute to the bullpen in a few years and the Tigers get a good hitting, decent fielding second baseman who has some pop too and could play other potions and hit well second or at the bottom of the order.
5. Tigers get Carlos Lee from Astros for OF Jamie Johnson, RP Kenny Faulk, and SP Kyle Ryan- Some good prospects for a slugger the Tigers need, biggest deal but wouldn’t go down until July and if the Tigers really need him.

Ranking The Managers Going Into 2012

1. Joe Maddon TB
2. Mike Scisocia LAA
3. Bruce Bouchy SF
4. Charie Maunel PHI
5. Jim Leyland DET
6. Ron Gardnehire MIN
7. Ron Washington TEX
8. Kirk Gibson ARZ
9. Ron Roenickie MIL
10. Joe Girardi NYY
11. Bud Back SD
12. Dusty Baker CIN
13. Buck Showalter BAL
14. Fredi Gonzalez ATL
15. Bobby Valentine BOS
16. Davey Johnson WAS
17. Jim Tracy COL
18. Clint Hurdle PIT
19. Ned Yost KC
20. Ozzie Guillen MIA
21. Don Mattingly LAD
22. John Farrell TOR
23. Eric Wedge SEA
24. Bob Melvin OAK
25. Manny Acta CLE
26. Dale Svuem CHC
27. Terry Collins NYM
28. Mike Matheny STL
29. Robin Ventura CHW
30. Brad Mills HOU

Athletics Sign Yoenis Cespedes

The A’s signed Cespedes to a 4 year, 36 million dollar deal.  The money is pretty good as are the years for what was expected.  He’s a bit overhyped and going to the A’s will hurt his value but he should still do pretty good and be an impact player.  He may play some of this year in the minors which is okay for him and then move up and if he does, he should do okay.  His average this year may not be the best but it won’t be terrible, where he’s a t he could be a .280-.290 hitter.  His defense will fit well in the A’s park and he fit well  The A’s moves don;t make much sense with trading their young guns and getting him, other than the fact that they want him to be a cornerstone to the franchise which may not happen, o the move is questionable.  He should have success and be an above average in the MLB if not a little more and his power will always be his most impressive tool, but he should do a lot for the A’s and may make this contract look decent or bad.  He could succeed in the A’s ballpark but it will be a little harder on him.  Cespedes is a risk all around but the A’s should get some production no matter what, I don;t see him being a complete bust, if he even is, he will always have power and defense and could hit for some extra base hits or he could be a superstar.  This is an okay deal for both sides.