Every year, we think we do well in our draft, but by the end of the season, usually fewer than half are still with our team!In the league we’ve been in the past 19 or so years, we get to keep a majority of our players during the off season … and hold a “supplemental draft” usually around Valentine’s Day. So these are the last 7-8 players on our roster … so I guess I shouldn’t be so tough on myself. In a very competitive 16 team league, those last few picks are often “flyers” (guys you’re taking a chance on), “space fillers” (guys who may fill a starting position adequately, but not spectacularly), “backups” for the starters, or “sleepers” … who are often rookies or minor leaguers who you believe could have an impact by season’s end. A sleeper could also even be a player coming back from a series of injuries that everyone has written off, or one that has had a mediocre career that you believe may be on the verge of a breakout year statistically. So here’s who we got last month.
- A.J. Pierzynski, Catcher, White Sox … a solid starter … though some may call him a space filler
- Rich Hill, Starting Pitcher, Cubs … a top notch starter who was somehow still available
- Casey Blake, 3B, Indians … a space filler keeping the seat warm for my 3B prospect on the Indians, Andy Marte … but Marte may not prove to be the fantasy stud some predicted, so Blake can fill the spot if need be.
- Melky Cabrera, OF Yankees … a space filler for now, but maybe not for long
- Ryan Church, OF Mets … also a space filler … but now I can watch Yankees, Mets & Red Sox (Papelbon) games and have someone to root for
- Willy Taveras-OF, Rockies … speedster who could help us if our other outfielder, Juan Pierre, loses his starting job
- Chad Tracy, 1B/3B, Diamondbacks … he’s the flyer … injured a lot of last year … but lots of power and hitting ability if he gets healthy … potential sleeper.
We will revisit this at season’s end and see how many of these guys are still with our team!
