Author: Andy Behrens

Let’s be clear from the start: every Yahoo! expert endorses Miguel Montero(notes), and we all endorse Matt Wieters(notes). None of us ranked either player lower than fifth at the position. Today, Mr. Pianowski and I are simply addressing a small difference of opinion, in the traditional 250 words or less. Let’s play the feud…

Scott says: I realize I’m setting myself up for a fall as I publicly challenge the Legend of Matt Wieters. And it’s not like I’m down on him; he’s fairly high on my board, too. But there’s logical roto theory that will probably keep him off my roster this year.

Generally, it’s a mistake to pay extra for a player to the point that he needs to climb a level to justify the investment; you want breakthrough players, but don’t shell out for the privilege. The higher you move up the skill level in fantasy baseball, the more likely you’ll see a crazy markup applied to hotshot rookies and prospects. Everyone wants to play scout, everyone wants to stick their flag in the ground first.

Has Wieters become a value off his disappointing rookie season? Hardly. His ADP has jumped 34 spots; if you want Wieters, you’ll have to part with a seventh or eighth-round pick. That’s just bad business.

Miguel Montero represents how you want to invest in our game; last year he clicked as a post-hype sleeper, and this year he’s settled in as a fantastic mid-round value (ADP 142, six rounds after Wieters). Montero’s glove is no longer an excuse to keep him on the bench, and there’s no question about his bat (.294, 16 homers, plus the backing of A.J. Hinch). You can pay a premium for growth seasons, but that’s not my style; I’d rather get behind production we’ve already seen, especially when the price is so affordable.

Andy responds: OK, here’s a point I’ve made before that I’m happy to make again: Wieters may have disappointed those of you who were expecting a full-season roto contribution, but if you owned him in a head-to-head league, the guy was a playoff MVP candidate.

He hit .362/.425/.511 with 13 runs scored and 14 RBIs in the month of September. He contributed in no small way to plenty of fantasy championships. Be careful not to overstate the extent of the disappointment.

At Wieters’ current Mock Draft Central ADP (93.7), the downside risk really isn’t so great. And you should all be familiar with his upside. Wieters was everybody’s 2008 Minor League Player of the Year following a ridiculous .355/.454/.600 line across two levels. No, he didn’t reinvent his position last year. But he did manage to hit .305 with five homers over 141 Triple-A at-bats, then .288 with nine homers in his introduction to the majors. That ain’t bad, and he’s only 23.

If owning Wieters in 2010 required, say, a fifth or sixth round pick, then I’d likely never draft him. That isn’t the case, though. You’re investing an eighth round pick in a player who has a chance to be great, not merely good. In a standard mixed league – where you can afford to take chances throughout the draft – Wieters is exactly the sort of player you should target. As much as I like Montero, the ceiling for Wieters is much higher.

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Photos via AP Images 

• The Joe Nathan(notes) news is every bit as bad as feared. He reportedly has a "significant tear" in his right ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), which obviously makes Tommy John surgery a strong possibility.

This via the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

Nathan will get a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, the renowned orthopedic surgeon who removed bone spurs and chips from the right-hander’s elbow this offseason. In the meantime, Nathan will let the soreness he’s still feeling after injuring his pitching arm on Saturday subside, then try to rehab for the next one to two weeks before deciding whether to have surgery.

So that’s all kinds of bad. The strongest in-house candidates to replace him are Matt Guerrier(notes), Jon Rauch(notes), Pat Neshek(notes), Jose Mijares(notes) and Jesse Crain(notes) – and if we were drafting today, that’s the order in which I’d rank ’em). Of course the Twins could also make a play for Heath Bell(notes), Kerry Wood(notes), or one of the Toronto semi-closers. There are options, and it’s only March 9. Please stay tuned.

• Early reports that Aroldis Chapman(notes) had hit 102 mph on the radar gun in his spring debut were, apparently, false. He topped out at 100. And his slider reached the low-90s. The final line was rather impressive: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.

• Stephen Strasburg(notes) nearly matched Chapman’s line in his exhibition start on Tuesday afternoon, pitching two scoreless frames against Detroit. He allowed two hits, no walks, struck out two (including Miguel Cabrera(notes)), and reached 98 on the gun.

Nats manager Jim Riggleman has strongly suggested that Strasburg will begin the season in the minors, regardless of the quality of his spring performance:

"I think it’s going to come down to a philosophical decision more so than a performance decision," Riggleman said. "We anticipate that he is going to throw great."

So far: pretty great.

• For those who enjoy checking out other men’s drafts, Fake Teams is reviewing LABR rosters. Enjoy, voyeurs. 

• Over at Fangraphs, Dave Golebiewski reviews the Madison Bumgarner situation (terrific history, velocity worries). It’s worth a look for those in dynasty formats. 

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Photo via AP Images 

That’s right, America’s favorite daily sweep of MLB links has returned for another season. You’re welcome. Feel free to offer the usual unrestrained praise in the comments section…

• Twins closer Joe Nathan(notes) has returned to Minnesota for "an MRI exam and CAT scan on his surgically repaired right elbow," so that’s no minor concern. Here’s Nathan himself via the Star-Tribune:

"It’s at a spot right now where I definitely wouldn’t want to pick up a baseball," Nathan said Sunday morning. "It’s very stiff, very sore."

If he can’t pick it up, he can’t throw it. And if he can’t throw it, then Jon Rauch(notes) or Matt Guerrier(notes) may enter the discussion.

• Russell Martin’s(notes) strained abductor muscle is expected to cost him four to six weeks, per the LA Times. The Dodgers have no immediate plans to dig up a replacement; they’re rolling with AJ Ellis(notes). He’s a powerless backstop who’s about to turn 29. Ellis has delivered nice averages at Triple-A over the past two seasons, but he failed to homer in 360 plate appearances in the PCL last year.

• Cameron Maybin(notes), the Marlins’ presumptive Opening Day centerfielder, strained his groin while running the bases on Sunday. According to the Miami Herald, he "felt his groin ‘pull as opposed to pop’ shortly after stepping on third base." He’s calling the injury a "day-to-day thing," so there’s reason to be hopeful. Maybin, 23, is a classic post-hype sleeper heading into this season. 

• The Rays are reportedly in "serious talks" with Hank Blalock(notes), according to Heyman (via DRaysBay). As if a conversation with Hank could be anything other than deadly serious. He posted a Kingmanly line last year (25 HR, 26 BB, 108 Ks, .234 AVG), though his BABIP dipped to an exceptionally low .249.  

• You’re encouraged to check out Joe Posnanski’s recent review of batters and pitch-type, assisted by Fangraphs (and thus by Baseball Info Solutions). It’s full of interesting nuggets. Cubs fans will note that Alfonso Soriano(notes) had the second-lowest percentage of fastballs faced, and that he saw more curves and sliders than just about anyone. Last year’s rate of fastballs-faced was a career low for Soriano. Because pitchers are heartless.

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Photo via US Presswire 

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward(notes) is widely considered the best hitting prospect in baseball. Last year, at 19, he delivered 17 homers and a .323 average across three minor league levels. He reportedly added 20 pounds of muscle during the offseason, too. 

In insurance circles, however, Heyward has become a serious problem.

When he takes batting practice at the Braves’ spring training facility in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., any vehicle within 500 feet is apparently at risk. On Tuesday he destroyed a sunroof and dented a truck. By the end of March, the right-field parking lot could very well be an apocalyptic scene: smoldering cars, cratered asphalt, stranded motorists. 

But fear not, Florida citizens. The Braves are among baseball’s most forward-thinking organizations, and they’re taking steps to keep you safe. This from David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

When manager Bobby Cox said that the Braves will probably install nets to protect cars from Jason Heyward’s prodigious batting-practice
home runs, reporters thought he was kidding.

He was not kidding.

"I’m serious," Cox said Thursday at Champion Stadium. "Smashing too many cars."

[…]

As Braves assistant general manager Bruce Manno could attest, this is not myth. This stuff is happening – Manno has an $3,400 estimate for repairs as proof.

And if the nets don’t hold Heyward, team engineers have designed a surface-to-air defense system, already at the advanced prototype stage. The Braves are committed to containing this threat.

Let’s just hope they don’t contain Heyward by keeping him in the minors to begin the season. He clearly belongs in a stadium that has a second deck.

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Photo via AP Images

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When all the reliable third basemen are gone, someone in your league will be facing today’s Spin Doctors dilemma. Ideally, you won’t be that guy. Draft the Panda. Or draft Youks. Do whatever is necessary to avoid the Chris Davis(notes) vs. Chipper Jones(notes) debate. It ain’t pretty, as you’ll soon see. In keeping with Spin Doctors tradition, two Yahoo! experts will now attempt to defend the indefensible in 250 words or less…

Pianowski says: Understanding your format is the key to Jones ownership. If you run in an extremely deep mixed league or an NL-only league, the flags scare me away, too. But in the average mixer, where the replacement value is high, I’m happy to roll with Chipper.

Everyone knows the injury risk you’re accepting – Jones has missed an average of 35 games over the last six years. But those missed games don’t automatically become bagels in the fantasy world – you’re allowed to replace your injured guys. Chipper’s three-year average checks in at .321-90-23-82 over 135 games, not bad for five months work.

Chipper’s average and power dip last year make people nervous, but career comedowns aren’t always linear – a step-back season doesn’t guarantee a second one. I’ll take comfort that his 2009 BABIP was 30 points lower than his career number and 43 points under his expected BABIP. It’s unlikely this pick will hurt your average, which is more than I can say for Crash Davis.

You want to be seduced by the siren of the home run, be my guest. Ignore Davis’s .238 average, ignore the fact that he struck out 38 percent of the time, ignore that it’s very easy for a MLB club to fill the positions he plays. We all need power, but we can find it in safer packages. Many times the boring vet is the right call (I see Ibanez and Abreu nodding their heads), and this is one of those times.

Behrens responds: After reading the italicized intro, hopefully you understand that I won’t face this decision in many leagues. Each draft presents its own unique horrors of course, so I can’t guarantee that I’ll always select an elite third basemen. But my intention – just so we’re clear – is to avoid the debate we’re having right now.

Moving on…

The case for Davis: When he was mercifully optioned to Triple-A last July, Davis took a .202 average and 114 Ks with him. But the 23-year-old changed his stance in the minors, then proceeded to destroy PCL pitching (165 AB, 6 HR, 25 BB, 39 K, .327/.418/.521). When he returned to the majors in August, he was a different hitter. He launched six homers over his final 36 games, batting .308/.338/.496. His strikeout-rate went from inexcusable to merely bad. Entering 2010, he’s a high-end power threat at a reasonable price (ADP 160.5). No, he still can’t hit lefties. Nobody said he was perfect.

The case against Jones: It’s over. This is Chipper’s age-38 season; last year he hit .264 with 18 home runs. The average 2009 fantasy line delivered by a top-20 third baseman looked like this: 81.4 R, 21.1 HR, 81.3 RBI, 9.5 SB, .286 AVG. Jones didn’t reach any of those stats. (OK, so Davis didn’t reach them either, but age is on his side). Chipper is the most high-maintenance name in the player pool – he hasn’t played 145 games since ’03 – and the projected return is no longer worth the managerial aggravation.

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Photos via Getty Images

San Francisco third baseman Pablo Sandoval(notes), aka "Kung-Fu Panda," is a big dude. He’s listed at 5-foot-11 and 246 pounds (which is, for the record, the approximate maximum size of an actual male panda). He’s also a ridiculously skilled hitter coming off a .330 season.

There’s a lot to like here: Exceptional nickname, exceptional bat, plays a talent-scarce position. He has both tangibles and intangibles. In fact, his intangibles have intangibles.

During the offseason, reports surfaced of Sandoval’s involvement in an intense weight-loss and conditioning program, code-named "Operation Panda."  He was shedding pounds. It was a life-style change. An awakening. An unprecedented re-making of a big, big man. This from MLB.com:

It is Day 11 of Sandoval’s personal conditioning camp – a three-week project Potenziano and head trainer Dave Groeschner have dubbed "Operation Panda." They even had T-shirts printed up with the words "Operation Panda: Discipline–Hard Work–Perseverance."

"We’ve never had a player do anything like this – ever," Groeschner says of the one-man camp.

[…]

For the first time in his life, Sandoval is lifting weights. He’s eating vegetables. He is meeting every Wednesday while he’s in Scottsdale with a nutrition professor from Arizona State University, who is teaching him about healthy food choices and portion control.

After months of healthy choices and strict portion control, we’re happy to unveil the new Sandoval, pictured above. (OK, technically ‘Duk unveiled him on Wednesday). Yes, he’s still large – probably still at the high end of the dimensional range for a real panda. And he’s partially camouflaged, too, which may have a slimming effect. But c’mon, the man wasn’t going to become a sun bear in just three weeks. It appears that he’s at least made some progress…um…maybe.

Behold the "before," from August ’09…

…and then re-examine the "after" photo above, taken on February 17. At the very least, he’s arrested the inflation.

Here’s a shot of the vegetable salt-intake portion of Operation Panda…

(Honestly, I’d salt the [expletive] outta that meal, too. That looks awful).

In the Yahoo! 2010 Baseball Draft Guide, we projected another quality stat line for Sandoval: 84 runs, 23 homers, 95 RBIs, 4 steals(!), .313 AVG. Despite persistent conditioning concerns, he never hit less than .298 in any calendar month last season, and he was basically just as effective after the All Star break (.327/.389/.530) as he was before (.333/.385/.578). Sandoval swings at almost everything – his outside-the-zone swing percentage was 41.5 last year, second-highest in baseball – but he also seems to hit everything at which he hacks. And he’s only 23. If the offseason work increased his strength at all, perhaps a few of last season’s 44 doubles will clear the fence. I’m buying the re-made Panda.

Let’s see your 2010 Sandoval projection in comments, now that you’ve glimpsed the spring girth. Closest forecaster wins a live bear…

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Photos via AP Images

Sign up for Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball 2010

Today we’re debating the relative merits of two young first basemen who are separated by very little in the Yahoo! preseason position ranks: Kendry Morales(notes) and Billy Butler(notes). (Before reading on, see if you can guess which player Evans prefers. Here’s a clue. And another. And another). In keeping with Spin Doctors tradition, our analysts are limited to just 250 words. Let’s play the feud…

Andy says:

Throughout the long, glorious history of the Spin Doctors series, Evans has argued on behalf of many underdogs. You can’t accuse him of stat-padding. But this particular battle is as difficult (and ostensibly one-sided) as it gets. Morales beat Butler in all five standard fantasy categories last season, and he had a decisive edge in both home runs (34 to 21) and RBIs (108 to 93). He finished No. 35 in the overall year-end ranks, 53 spots ahead of Butler. And Morales’ team outscored Butler’s by 197 runs. And he’s heading into his first year of arbitration eligibility. And he’ll turn 27 in June. And he was a career .332 hitter in the minors, so it’s not as if last year’s success was surprising.

In short, Morales has absolutely everything going for him in this debate: age, environment, and past on-field performance. The argument on behalf of Butler, I suppose, is that a few of last year’s 51 doubles might clear the fence in 2010, and that his post-All Star break batting average (.314) could be sustainable over a full season. He’ll definitely need to improve something in order to reach Morales’ level.

In consideration of the difficulty of the task facing my colleague here, I’m willing to take an unprecedented step, yielding my remaining word-count to him…

Brad responds:

As the somewhat attractive ladies in the Chicagoland area already know, Andy Behrens is a giver. His overwhelming generosity providing the Noise, a well-known Butler enthusiast, an additional 50 wasteful words to speak in hyperbolic tongues about the modern day Joltin’ Joe/cancer curer/whale saver/son of Zeus…limit achieved.

For years, I’ve rambled on about Mr. Belvedere’s Brettish upside. The former top prospect, who entered very exclusive company last season becoming only the sixth player in MLB history to collect 50 doubles and 20 homers before his 24th birthday, is on the cusp of greatness after racking the 27th-best line among hitters after the break (.315-13-55-41). More importantly, he started driving the baseball more vigorously, indicative in his sharp post-break rise in fly-ball percentage. If is groundhog-torching GB/FB ratio continues to shrink, the perennial .300-30-100-85 beast will be unleashed. As owners witnessed with Aaron Hill(notes) last season, doubles sometimes do stretch into homers.

Butler, substituting carrots for Klondike bars, trimmed down during the offseason, reporting to camp earlier this month leaner and meaner. A humble teammate who takes nothing for granted, he is determined to take his game to the next level. With a little more aggressiveness, it’s conceivable he could transform into a mini-Miggy. He certainly has the plate coverage to become a feared hitter.

Morales is an exceptional, consistent producer in a more potent lineup. However, for thrifty shoppers, Butler is a friggin’ steal. In early drafts, he’s going some 40 picks later and roughly $5 cheaper than the Halo. Though both are still very young, Butler is three years Morales’ junior, the Royals masher, who Baseball America tabbed a future All-Star three years ago, has a significantly higher ceiling.

This is the year the Noise’s annoying, often ridiculous Butler declarations finally prove prophetic.

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Photos via US Presswire

By now, you should be familiar with the rules of this feature. We’re reviewing the Yahoo! preseason position ranks, looking for cases where experts are unusually enthusiastic or pessimistic about specific players. When outliers are identified, analysts are asked to analyze. We begin with six very bullish spins. On Tuesday, we’ll go negative.

B.J. Upton(notes) – Behrens OF rank 12, Yahoo! composite 19

Despite having recently lost his arbitration battle – if we can accurately describe any $3 million payday as a "loss" – Upton remains one of the more intriguing talents in both real and imaginary baseball. Of course he’s also one of the more frustrating talents. If you were burned by Upton last year, then I suppose I can understand the reluctance to reenlist.

But realize that Upton is just entering his age-25 season, and he already has a 20-homer campaign and back-to-back 40-steal efforts to his credit. There simply aren’t many names in the player pool with clear 20/40 potential. Upton’s BABIP took a nosedive last year and his batting average went with it, but don’t expect him to settle into the .240-.260 range. He’s far enough removed from left shoulder surgery that we can reasonably forecast a modest power bump, too. It’s much too early in Upton’s career arc to assume that we’ve already seen his best. Right now, with an ADP that’s barely in the top-60, the upside is worth the risk. -AB

Alcides Escobar(notes) – Evans SS rank 11, Y! composite 18

Cradle-robbing is a common practice in fantasy drafts. Every year owners sever tendons for hyped rookies in the hope of tapping into their supposedly limitless potential. Though numerous rookies don’t deserve such accolades, Escobar definitely does.

Comparable in style and substance to Elvis Andrus(notes), the sure-handed Brewers shortstop will be a prime three-cat contributor in deeper mixed leagues. His tremendous speed upside – he swiped 42 bags in 109 Triple-A games last year – and high contact rates suggest he will likely yield a batting average near .285 with a minimum of 35 steals. It’s unknown exactly where he will bat in Ken Macha’s order. Publications have him slotted anywhere from leadoff to No. 9. At this point in his career, the 23-year-old is allergic to walks, but due to his slap-hitting nature he projects as a No. 2 hitter long-term. At some point this season, you can bet he’ll cement a prime table-setting position. Overall, he’s still a good 3-4 years from reaching his Jose Reyes-like ceiling, but Escobar is certainly a more desirable commodity at his position than aging stiffs Rafael Furcal(notes) and Miguel Tejada(notes), both of whom ranked ahead of the youngster in our composite rankings. -Noise

Jonathan Sanchez(notes) – Pianowski SP rank 46, Y! composite 68

It’s easy to find false promises with segmented stats; you can support almost any theory by selecting the right patch of data. That established, why aren’t more people excited about what Sanchez did in the second half of 2009? You’ll get mileage out of a 3.83 ERA and 1.24 ERA, the 98 strikeouts in 84.2 innings are juicy, the league hit just .206 against him. Forget that he won just five of 15 games – that’s as much a flag on his teammates as it is against Sanchez. The Giants scored a piddly 40 runs over his final 14 starts. For a guy who threw a no-hitter in 2009 (and that was in the first half), Sanchez remains somewhat of a screened commodity.

I’ll grant you there are many red flags on Sanchez – he’s got a long-running control problem (though it did improve after the break), he has trouble working deep in games, he struggles with men on base (and holding runners to begin with). That said, starters who strike out more than a batter per inning don’t grow on trees, Sanchez’s home park will hide a lot of mistakes, and perhaps he’s ready for another push forward in his Age 27 season as he learns to trust his stuff more. The second part of your draft is supposed to be about upside, especially on the mound; with that in mind, Sanchez is a great risk/reward name for the back end of your staff. -Pianow

Victor Martinez(notes) – Funston 1B rank 7, Y! composite 11

V-Mart is my seventh ranked first basemen, but I’m obviously not playing him there if I were to land him in a draft. My colleagues and I agree he’s the No. 2 catcher available, but we seem to disagree with where the overall value of Beantown’s multi-position eligible cleanup hitter should land. In 56 games with the Red Sox in ’09, V-Mart posted a career-best .912 OPS. He’s a career .300 hitter who’s averaged more than 20 home runs and 100 RBI in his past five full seasons. And, at 31, he’s still riding the tail-end of his prime years wave.

Hitting in the No. 4 spot for an offense that has ranked in the top four in the majors in runs the past three years is about as lucrative a post as any hitter could hope for. His current value in average live drafts on MockDraftCentral, I think, adequately represents the value of V-Mart and his situation – he sits at No. 23 overall. My colleagues would rather you consider him a round later. Feel free to follow that advice if you have no intention of owning V-Mart this season. If you want a backstop capable of giving Mauer a run for his money, you’ll have to take a more aggressive draft-day approach.  -BFun

Ben Zobrist(notes) – Funston OF rank 12, Y! composite 18

Like my V-Mart argument, this is a case of ranking Zobrist so high at one position (OF) because of the value he’ll bring elsewhere on the fantasy diamond (2B, SS). Zobrist’s three-position eligibility, two of the spots coming at the more depth-challenged middle infield positions, is a major factor in my valuation. As is the power he offers up the middle … I think we can safely assume the 20-plus HR power is legitimate – 39 home runs in his past 684 major league at bats makes a pretty emphatic case for that.

Really, there’s no reason to think that Zobrist can’t put up numbers at least close to last year’s breakout campaign. At 28, he’s in the heart of his prime. He has excellent plate discipline, ranking 17th in the league in both BB and K/BB ratio in ’09. He’s been a consistent 15-plus SB threat throughout his professional career. And he’s expected to hit fifth in what was the No. 7 offense in the league last season. Tale a look at what the SS position has to offer after Derek Jeter(notes) comes off the board and tell me you don’t understand the rationale for extending yourself for what Zobrist brings to the table.  -BFun

Julio Borbon(notes) – Behrens OF rank 35, Y! composite 45

If you’re determined to select Michael Bourn(notes) anywhere near his current Mock Draft Central ADP (75.1), you’ll get no fight from me. I’ll just take Julio Borbon at his absurdly cheap price (ADP 197.7). He’s expected to hit lead-off for the Rangers in 2010 after swiping 19 bags and batting .312 in 46 games in ’09. Prior to his call-up, Borbon was hitting .307 at Triple-A with 25 stolen bases. (For the math-impaired, that’s 44 steals between MLB and the PCL). In ’08, he stole 53 bases and hit .321 across two minor league levels. He’s well-positioned to be a solid three-category fantasy asset. Underrate him at your own peril. -AB

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Photos via Getty Images

Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball, as you might have heard, now offers auction leagues. We’re all quite excited by this historic development. Fantasy owners are no longer draft-dependent. Beginning this year, we’ve made every aspect of our game entirely free – free live scoring, free draft kit, free customization – and we’ve replaced all the real money that we used to earn with imaginary money that we distribute. (Which seems like a flawless business strategy. They’ll teach this stuff in B-school someday).

In the auction game, we give you $260 of fake currency with which to assemble a roster. Before you spend it, we’re also going to give you some pre-auction advice. You’ll find a small collection of tips below. As always, feel free to ignore these suggestions, praise them, comment on their absurdity, or offer a few of your own. Just please click the ads. 

Here are six rules for those preparing to buy fantasy talent…

Mock what you don’t understand. Even if you’re an auction veteran, it’s not a bad idea to test drive the new live Yahoo! app. Head over to the auction mock lobby. Meet with a member of our friendly sales team. For some of you, it will be legitimately useful to create a full roster, on time and on budget. For others, the primary benefit of the mock exercise is that you’ll become familiar with the pace and layout of the auction. In a timed environment, this sort of familiarity matters.

Know your settings. Know the categories, know the quirks, know the depth of the player pool. If you’re in a mixed league of modest size – let’s say 10 to 14 teams with standard starting positions – then don’t become so value-obsessed that you neglect to acquire top-tier stars. It’s OK to spend big for elite fantasy entities. (And by "elite," we mean proven, healthy, high-impact, multi-category talents – the names at the top of this list, before you start scrolling). In a smallish mixed league, nearly all of the $1 end-of-auction players are going to be useful, so having a financial edge during the late bidding won’t necessarily buy you anything spectacular. You’ll be able to pay for the difference between, say, Kendry Morales(notes) (our No. 14 first baseman) and Derrek Lee(notes) (No. 17). That’s not likely to be a title-clinching purchase.

In deeper AL/NL-only auctions, however, the list of $1 players will include a few truly revolting names – guys who might see 300 at-bats if everything goes their way. As a general rule, winning such leagues requires roster depth. Or, as Mr. Pianowski likes to say, your team will be defined by its weakest players, not its strongest. Pujols is a luxury, not a requirement. 

Vary your cadence. Don’t become predictable. And if you do become predictable, then quickly veer away from whatever pattern you’ve fallen into. If it’s clear that you’re going to bid aggressively on every player you nominate, then you’re going to be punished in a competitive auction. You’ll find no bargains. Similarly, if it’s clear that you don’t intend to buy any player you nominate, then, in all likelihood, you’ll eventually get stuck with one of ’em. Don’t raise by the same increment every time, either. A dramatic bid-jump can occasionally stun the room into inactivity. Near the end of an auction, your position and category needs will be apparent enough to anyone who decides to review your roster; don’t give away additional advantages.

It’s not real money, so spend it all. Unless you’re assembling a team in a dynasty league where this year’s salaries will impact next year’s salaries, then don’t leave any pretend dollars in your imaginary wallet. You’ll receive no bonus points for having $4 remaining when the dust settles. You can’t go invest that fake $4. It just goes away, and you’re left with regret. It’s nice to play for end-game leverage, sure, but you don’t want to be the guy who throws $12 at Clint Barmes(notes) simply because there’s nothing left to buy.

It becomes much easier to spend to your limit when you accept the fact that not every player on your roster has to be an exceptional value. Finding bargains isn’t as difficult as knowing when to pay full price, or $1 more. If you’re down to the final name in a tier – or the last 30-steal candidate who isn’t a disaster in every other category – then paying sticker price is acceptable. 

When you’ve filled a talent-scarce position, nominate the position. It’s usually more satisfying to watch other people spend crazily than to spend crazily yourself. If you’ve just dropped $26 on Jeter, then nominate Rollins. Or Alexei. Or Zobrist. Or some other must-own shortstop. Make others spend as you have spent. With any luck at all you’ll trigger a panic, and you’ll have already pulled out of the market. 

Remember the bidding wars. One of the great benefits to an auction is the fact that every participant in the league has an opportunity to acquire any player. But this of course also means that every participant in the league will tip their hand at various points. When you find yourself in a legit bidding war with another owner – as opposed to an illegitimate, price-enforcing war – take note. If you happen to win the skirmish, there’s a fair chance the player involved can be a trade chip later in the year. 

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Photo via AP Images

According to various reports, free agent outfielder Johnny Damon(notes) has received a one-year offer from the Atlanta Braves, and Chipper Jones(notes) has been actively wooing him.

However, the Tigers are also reportedly interested in adding Damon to their kick-ass 2004 fantasy roster otherwise unimpressive lineup, perhaps for two years. Detroit is clearly the destination that we in the fantasy community should be pulling for.

It’s not that Damon would be significantly more valuable with the Tigers – last year’s power was a Yankee Stadium fluke, not to be repeated elsewhere. But in Atlanta, Damon could complicate Jason Heyward’s path to 2010 fantasy relevance. That would be most unwelcome.

The 20-year-old Heyward was Baseball America’s 2009 Minor League Player of the Year, and he’ll almost certainly be the Braves’ right fielder for many, many seasons. He’s thus far been exceptional at every minor league level – he hit .352/.446/.611 in 195 plate appearances at Double-A last year – and he’s inflated himself during the offseason. This via Ken Rosenthal:

Heyward is 6-foot-4, one inch taller than [Fred] McGriff, who also batted left-handed. He has gained 20 pounds this offseason — “all muscle,”  Braves general manager Frank Wren says — and now weighs 245.

Heyward has drawn frequent comparisons to McGriff, although at his current dimensions he’s entering Dave Parker territory. Either way, we’re comparing him to MVP-quality left-handed sluggers with animal nicknames. That’s awesome

Without Damon cluttering the outfield in left, Heyward would presumably need only to decisively outperform either Matt Diaz(notes) or Melky Cabrera(notes) in order to emerge as Atlanta’s Opening Day right fielder. Jordan Schafer(notes) is little more than a wildcard. All the usual financial incentives exist to for the Braves to keep Heyward in the high minors into June, but you’ll recall that Atlanta has aggressively advanced young prospects in the past. Bobby Cox recently declared that Heyward has a legit shot to make the April lineup:

“He’s virtually skipping Triple-A if he makes the team,” manager Bobby Cox said of Heyward, who played in three late-season games at Triple-A Gwinnett and has only 50 games and 173 at-bats above Class A.

“That doesn’t happen often. But in his case we just feel that he should, if he’s going to come to spring training, be given a crack at it,” Cox said.

Let’s make this thing happen. And make the Damon thing not happen. Frank Wren, please sign on the line which is dotted. (OK, so it’s not dotted. But please sign).

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Photo via AP Images 

As you’ll note in the image above, the Home Run Apple at New York’s Citi Field was protected by a curiously high wall last season, a barrier that proved to be virtually impregnable – at least for the home team. The Mets hit the fewest homers in the majors in 2009, and they finished in last place by a ridiculous margin. They cleared the fence just 95 times; the Giants were next-to-last with 122 home runs. Not surprisingly, Citi Field was ultimately a poor run-scoring environment. 

On Tuesday, New York took a tentative first step toward correcting that situation. This from the Daily News:

The height of Citi Field’s centerfield wall will be sliced in half, making the ballpark more homer-friendly, the Daily News has learned.

Last season, the wall measured 16 feet in front of the sparsely used Home Run Apple. Now, with the second level of padding being removed, it will measure eight feet in the middle of the outfield.

Technically, sure, the park will be somewhat "more homer-friendly," since the height of the wall will be reduced. But Citi’s new 8-foot wall will still be located 408 feet from home plate. The actual field dimensions aren’t changing. Let’s not get too bullish over anybody’s 2010 projections simply because a giant, distant wall has been lowered, but is nonetheless still distant. David Wright(notes) hit just 10 home runs in 2009, only four of which traveled far enough to reach the newly exposed apple.

(According to Hit Tracker‘s Greg Rybarczyk, however, Wright lost as many as nine potential homers in the Shea-to-Citi ballpark conversion. It’s not like the park didn’t impact his totals).

At this point in our story, you’re probably wondering how these wall height alterations will affect the rating on the municipal debt issued to finance Citi Field’s construction. Duh. Well, we’ve got your answer: It ain’t good. In a move that is obviously a reaction to the park changes, Standard & Poor’s has lowered the rating on the stadium bonds to junk status.

Bloomberg seems to think S&P made the move because of "losses suffered by an insurance company that provided a
surety bond," or some such nonsense, but c’mon. This is clearly linked to that apple in some way. Connect the dots, speculators. Please continue visiting Roto Arcade for all breaking financial news.

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Photo via Getty Images

OK, no, there aren’t actually going to be pony rides. That was a lie. Apologies. (Pretty sure CBS offers ’em, if this no-pony situation is a dealbreaker for you). Let’s talk about a few of the free perks we do offer when you register for Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball 2010:  

• Live scoring. Yup, that’s right: It’s free. $0. Live stats will appear at no cost. For whatever reason, users seem to prefer this pricing strategy over the $9.99 model. 

• Acquisition budgets. Gamers now have the option to replace the traditional waiver process with FAAB-style blind bidding, which is arguably a fairer way to distribute un-owned talent. Managing FAAB dollars is an art. You’re encouraged to try it.   

• iPhone application. Honestly, this one has very little direct impact on me, since I prefer to use a man’s phone. But it’s nice to know that various leaguemates will have easy access to trade offers at all times, and thus no excuse for sitting on deals. 

And now for the most exciting enhancement:

• Auction leagues. Finally, we’re auction-enabled. You’re free from the tyranny of serpentine drafts! (Although of course we offer those, too). In auction formats, every owner in your league will have the opportunity to acquire every name in the player pool. The auction room will look familiar…

…but you’ll nominate players and place bids while a clock ticks.

We’ll have plenty of time in the weeks ahead to discuss auction strategy – end-game spending, bid-jumping, varying cadence, etc. – but for now, please just know that auctions are available, they’re free, and they’re spectacular.

Sign up. Game on. For additional information on other new game features, click here. Blog leagues forming soon…

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Photo via Getty Images

To date, I have not managed to own Jose Reyes in any season in which he was helpful. When I acquire him, his hamstrings explode. When I bypass him in favor of more reliable alternatives, he scores 120 runs, steals 60 bases, hits .290, and is generally a paragon of good health and vitality. He has thus far been of no use to me; I have thus far been a plague to him.

Despite this multi-year failure to properly assess Reyes’ fantasy value, I’m duty-bound to report the following: He’s feeling great. Never better. According to the trainer who’s directing Reyes’ offseason rehab, "He’s 100 percent."

Here are a few additional details, via the New York Post’s Kevin Kernan:

Reyes is back in a big way, and confidently told The Post: "I’ll be ready in 2010. Be there, it’s going to be a show." … Reyes started this rehab on crutches 14 weeks ago and has been working five days a week. The other day he ran 90 feet on the track in 3.53
seconds. On the ballfield, the average time to first for a lefty is 4.2 seconds. His running mechanics have changed for the better. He is flexing his right leg more, with his heel inching closer to his backside, making his stride faster and cleaner.

Cleaner, stronger, faster. They have rebuilt him. Here’s more:

"I feel great," Reyes said. "Last year I came back too quickly. Everything is in the past. I don’t want to think about it. Now there is no pain. That’s the key. There is nothing to worry about. Everything’s perfect."

That’s right: Nothing to worry about. Think not of the past. 

In recent action at Mock Draft Central, Reyes’ ADP is 22.3. He’s typically on the board late in Round 2, available to owners who selected Pujols, Hanley or A-Rod at the top of the draft. How can you resist his charms at that point? You can’t, of course. Reyes’ fantasy value is entirely tied to his speed, which is obviously tied to the health of his legs, which are, according to him, pain-free and perfect. He enters 2010 at No. 3 in my shortstop ranks, but if the early spring returns match the propaganda, there could be a realignment. And when I start buying shares of Reyes, history demands that you sell.

Hope that clears things up. 

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Photo via US Presswire