My Draft 2014

We held our draft this weekend and this year I had a non-typical agenda. While many dismantled their teams to rebuild I kept most of my team intact in our keeper league. Over the six weeks of last season I was able to rise from tenth to third with a week to go. But I peaked too early and fell back to sixth. Why mess with that?

There are more than a handful of players that I picked up last season that I have seen on numerous sleeper or break out lists. Wilson Ramos, Dee Gordon, Brad Miller, Mike Moustakas, Oswaldo Arcia, Adam Eaton, Matt Davidson, Tony Cingrani, Michael Wacha and Kevin Gausman all appear on one or more list. Moustakas was the only one I had locked into a contract so I had the option of dropping the others. But why drop such a promising group in hopes of getting them cheaper or getting someone else?

Arcia and Eaton should help bolster my outfield of Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper and Allen Craig while Drew Stubbs, Chris Carter, Darin Ruf, Dayan Viciedo and Anthony Gose available to mix in depending on hot streaks. Paul Goldschmidt at first, Moustakas at third, Miller at short, and Gordon at second with Davidson, Kyle Seager, Chris Johnson, Emilio Bonifacio and Darwin Barney available for the CI and MI spots. Ramos, Yan Gomes and Alex Avila would rotate as the catching primaries with Rob Brantly and Ryan Lavarnway possibly available too. Injuries at catcher had been an issue that last couple seasons and I think its better they be on my bench rather than someone else's roster.

Pitching is where my roster took the biggest hit from last season as I lost closers Craig Kimbrel and Jason Grilli and starter C.J. Wilson. My starters should do well with Zack Greinke, Julio Teheran, Jose Fernandez, Wacha and Cingrani as the main rotation spots with Wade Miley, A.J. Griffin, Gausman and Jake Odorizzi as possibilities. Koji Uehara is my only returning closer although I had also picked up Jason Motte in a late season trade. Adding pitching depth at reliever would be a priority at the draft. Another priority would be to get some farm eligible players to swap with Gausman and Odorizzi as well as Davidson.

My draft would basically be spent in the bargain bin as retaining so much roster left me with only $17 available to fill six roster spots. It would be a challenge but it is always a fun and entertaining time. I expected it to be some time before I would pick up my first player.

My only participation in the first round was throwing out Jose Abreu when my turn came. The players taken in the first round along with their prices were: Curtis Granderson (15), Cole Hamels (21), Masahiro Tanaka (21), Hanley Ramirez (35), Cliff Lee (26), Felix Hernandez (30), Jose Abreu (19), Danny Salazar (16), Mike Minor (17), Robinson Cano (29), David Wright (23) and Adam Jones (26). The last place team from the previous season sent a proxy to draft for them and was obviously under orders to be aggressive as he secured Granderson, Tanaka, Salazar and Jones in that first round.

Chia-Jen Lo was the first player I was able to land for only $1. Most claimed they had not heard of him. He does fit both pre-draft criteria as being both a reliever and farm eligible. I think the RHP will be like Bruce Rondon last year who bounced up and down between Triple A and the Majors but I got Lo at a much better price. He split 2013 between Class A Tri-City, Class A Quad Cities, Double A Corpus Christi and the Astros. He was 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 12 K, 1.00 WHIP, 4 K, in 6.0 IP over 6 games at Tri-City, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 K, 0.67 WHIP, 1 SV in 3.0 IP over 3 games at Quad Cities, 0-0, 3.52 ERA, 6 K, 1.17 WHIP, 1 SV in 7.2 IP over 8 games at Corpus Christi and 0-3, 4.19 ERA, 16 K, 1.40 WHIP, 2 SV in 19.1 IP over 19 games with the Astros. He originally signed with the Astros in 2008 as an amateur free agent out of  Taiwan. The Astros selected him to play in the Futures game in 2009. Lo will be 28 on April 7th.

Brian Wilson was my second player and I also landed him for $1. Wilson is still on the road back after being a dominating closer with the Giants. The RHP will continue to be a set up man for the Dodgers and while its possible Kenley Jansen could go down at some point its just as likely another team will come calling after their closer falters. All Wilson has to do is continue to build his resume. Last season he pitched at Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga, Triple A Albuquerque and the Dodgers as he was 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 K, 0.00 WHIP in 1.0 IP in 1 game at Rancho Cucamonga, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 K, 0.30 WHIP in 3.1 IP over 3 games at Albuquerque and 2-1, 0.66 ERA, 13 K, 0.88 WHIP in 13.2 IP over 18 games with Dodgers. He was originally drafted by the Giants in the 24th round in 2003. Wilson turned 32 on March 16.

The third player I grabbed was Neftali Feliz who I threw out and got for $5. I probably could have had him for less judging by the squawks about his injury last season. Yet Feliz is competing for the closer position and his manager Ron Washington says his arm is getting stronger the more he throws. The RHP split 2013 between Rookie Arizona and Triple A Round Rock while rehabbing and with the Rangers as he was 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 K, 1.50 WHIP in 2.0 IP over 2 games at Arizona, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 9 K, 0.70 WHIP in 8.2 IP over 6 games at Round Rock and 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 K, 1.50 WHIP in 4.2 IP over 6 games with the Rangers. He originally signed with the Braves in 2005 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. Feliz will be 26 on May 2nd.

With $10 left I decided it was time to put down the fishing pole and go big game hunting with my sights on the top prospect on my list Kris Bryant. It was my only bidding war of the day and I happily had the winning bid at $8. The third baseman was drafted by the Cubs with the second pick of the first round and finished his summer playing at Rookie Arizona, Class A Boise and Class A Advanced Daytona. He hit .167/143/.333 with 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 R, 0 SB in 2 games at Arizona, hit .354/.416/.692 with 4 HR, 16 RBI, 13 R, 0 SB in 18 games at Boise and hit .333/.387/.719 with 5 HR, 14 RBI, 9 R, 1 SB in 16 games at Daytona. He followed that by earning the MVP of the Arizona Fall League by hitting .364/.457/.727 with 6 HR, 17 RBI, 22 R, 3 SB in 20 games. The right handed power hitter turned 22 on January 4th.

Next I started to go after prospects in hoping to get one for $1 and struck gold first time out with Rosell Herrera. The SS\3B played in 2013 at Class A Asheville and hit .343/.419/.515 with 16 HR, 76 RBI, 83 R, 21 SB in 126 games. He originally signed with the Rockies in 2009 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. Herrera will be 22 on October 16.

To spend my last dollar I returned to experienced MLB players because I didn't want to offer up prospects they may or may not be later picked up by the other teams. After having a handful easily taken by deeper pockets I threw out some bait which was not taken. So I ended up with Andrew Bailey for $1. He had signed a minor league contract with the Yankees but there is no guarantee when he will make his way back. At worst he is a place holder. At best I may sign him for a couple years for cheap. The RHP did show some promise early last season before his injury going 3-1, 3.77 ERA, 39 K, 1.22 WHIP, 8 SV in 28.2 IP over 30 games with the Red Sox. He was originally drafted by the Athletics in the sixth round in 2006. Bailey will be 30 on May 31.