While they say that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, I’m going to take a pass on that and trade in my corned beef and green beer for some Spring Training updates and fantasy baseball sleepers. I find that they help me out more with my upcoming drafts and keep me from throwing up on my keyboard. Unless I’m talking about the Royals. Sorry K.C.; a needless swipe. In any event, it’s time to throw out a few more names that you should be adding to your depth charts and think about picking up in the middle to late rounds of your draft. They’re not always the sexiest of names, but during the 2010 season, most, if not all, of them should prove to be a sound late addition to your fantasy baseball teams. And away we go…
2010 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Another 5 Guys on My Radar
Justin Maxwell, OF WAS — I had been keeping tabs on Maxwell for a little while now, but his .115 average and 10 strikeouts have been deterring me from really discussing him. But with the release of Elijah Dukes, Maxwell just might be worth a very late round look in fantasy baseball drafts this year. Couple that with the injury history of Josh Willingham and you’re looking at possibly two openings in the outfield this year. Maxwell has guys like Mike Morse, Willie Harris, Willy Taveras and Chris Duncan standing in his way, but the speedster could play himself into the Opening Day lineup with a strong couple of weeks here. I mean, the guys I just mentioned really aren’t that good and their upside is certainly not as strong as Maxwell’s. He’s shown a little bit of pop to go along with his speed, so if he can just start hitting the ball and getting on base more now, I don’t seee why the Nats wouldn’t give the 26 year old a shot this year. He could definitely bring some nice speed to the bottom of that order.
Wade Davis, SP TB — Hard to call this kid a sleeper with the hype he’s received since his call-up last season, but he’s still “battling” for the 5th starter spot and pitching in the hard-hitting AL East always keeps people away for fear of a ratio explosion. But Davis has tremendous upside and is just starting to find his groove this spring as he just wrapped up 4 innings against the Red Sox with 3 hits, one walk, no runs and 5 strikeouts. It falls right in line with his call-up numbers for 2009 when he threw 36 1/3 innings with a 3.72 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP and 36 Ks and also falls in line with his minor league totals. Obviously, we’d like to see that WHIP come down a little, but if he can throw 150 to 180 innings like that this year, then he’d be a big boost to your team, not to mention an AL Rookie of the Year candidate. Even if, on Opening Day, the Rays go with Andy Sonnanstine, Davis will be up this season and should easily slide right into the rotation.
Everth Cabrera, SS SD — This sleeper pick comes with a bit of a personal attachment as I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with Cabrera’s cousin Richard Morales, as well as his uncle, Silvio Rivera (or Uncle Silvio as I like to call him) who made his way up from Nicaragua to the Bay Area last season to watch his nephew play. We were all disappointed when Cabrera broke his wrist in early April and was lost for about 2 months, but when he came back in late June, fantasy owners that picked him up were very satisfied with the cheap source of stolen bases. He swiped 25 bags after he made it back. While Cabrera is obviously more known for his slick glove than his bat, if you don’t want to invest too heavily in some of those mediocre middle infielders you’ll have available in the late rounds, then Cabrera and his speed will certainly be a benefit to your team. As for the quiet spring he’s having right now, don’t worry. He’ll be out there playing every day and I’ll give Uncle Silvio a call and use his influence to get him to spend a little more time in the cage. You don’t mess with Uncle Silvio.
Gavin Floyd, SP — OK, so a little more of a known commodity here, but I really think we’re looking at a breakout season for Floyd. His small step backwards last year, after a tremendous 2008 campaign, could keep him off of people’s radar which would serve you better in your draft. But in looking at his numbers, his growth, and his current spring, I think Floyd is ready to take his game to the next level. His 1.34 GB/FB ratio could stand a bit of an improvement, especially in U.S. Cellular Field, but his .292 BABIP is pretty solid for a middle of the rotation guy. We’ve also see a steady decline in WHIP over the last 4 years which shows improved command and a declining walk rate. His K-rate also took a very nice increase last season. Take all of that and mix in his 6 spring innings of one run, 4 hit ball with 8 strikeouts and boooo-yah!! This is his third year as a full time starter and that’s also usually when these guys put it together for an all star caliber season. Don’t over-reach, but definitely try and grab him when you can.
Franklin Gutierrez, OF SEA — Another known commodity, but playing in Seattle usually deters a lot of people. Safeco just isn’t a fun park in which to hit. But last season, in his first full time job, Gutierrez plugged 18 home runs, swiped 16 bases and hit .283 on the season. It was a stellar breakout performance for him and this year, the 27 year old just might be able to do a little more damage. With the lack of power on the Mariners roster, Gutierrez could be looking at hitting cleanup or 5th which, with Ichiro Suzuki and Chone Figgins setting the table, could mean a serious increase in his RBI total. The power should also continue to develop, and while I’d like to see him run as much, if not more, we might see a decrease in the speed department as he works on his power stroke. That could also lower the batting average a little, but I’d take a .272 hitter if he’s hitting 20+ HR and knocking in 85+ RBI and I grabbed him in the lower middle rounds of my draft, wouldn’t you?
If you missed the first 2 installments of this series and need more sleeper action, check out Part 1 and Part 2 for another 10 quality late round options.
We’re getting closer and closer to Opening Day which means that, if you haven’t already, your drafts are just around the corner. Keep checking back for more fantasy baseball draft advice and strategies, and if you have any questions, feel free to post a comment here or just email me at rotobuzzguy@gmail.com.
Good luck and I’ll see you all in the money this year!
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