It’s very rare that I use this page for anything other than fantasy baseball analysis.  But, my residency near Toronto and yesterday’s Alex Anthopolous sighting at the Phillies game got me thinking – is there a trade that would make sense for both teams?  It’s widely acknowledged that AA was in the stands to watch Joe Blanton pitch, so I’ll be sure to include him in the deal.  Here goes:

Philadelphia gets: Kyle Drabek and Travis Snider

Toronto gets: Domonic Brown and Joe Blanton

Time for the analysis:

Why it makes sense for the Phillies: 

The first thing the Phillies do after completing the trade is use the $8 million in savings to lure Roy Oswalt back onto their roster.  Oswalt is looking to pitch for a contender and reportedly would prefer to start his Major League season closer to the summer, when his kids are out of school.  The Phillies could sign him now, have him start throwing at home and he could start a Minor League assignment at some point in May.  I’m sure that for about $10 million, he’ll leave the family behind for a few extra weeks in the spring.  Maybe Roy Halladay has a guest room he can use!  With Oswalt replacing Blanton, the Phillies are back to having by far the best rotation in the Majors.  And, it didn’t cost them any money to make it happen.

Adding Drabek makes sense for the Phillies.  He was having a lot of success in their Minor League system before having some struggles with the Blue Jays.  He was likely initially rushed by Toronto and then had difficulty pitching in Las Vegas, which is becoming a common problem for Toronto hurlers (anyone else notice that they skipped that step with Alvarez).  The Phillies have an expensive, aging rotation that really needs young pitchers with upside.  Drabek is perfect for them.  At best, he can contribute some starts later in ’12.  At worst, he’s ready for a ’13 spot when Oswalt is gone again.

Snider would also likely start the season in Triple-A.  He’ll replace Brown on their organizational depth chart and even though he doesn’t offer as high of a ceiling, Snider could be a starting outfielder for them very soon.  Saving money is going to be important for the Phillies in the coming seasons, as they attempt to keep together their core of Halladay, Lee, Howard, Rollins, Pence and Hamels.  Adding two young, inexpensive players who are near the Majors is a good idea, even if they had to give up a good prospect to get them.

Brown’s star has faded a bit within the organization.  Once considered their top prospect, it now seems unlikely that he’ll be a major part of this year’s team.  With Pence, Victorino, Mayberry, Nix and Pierre, the Phillies have compiled a lot of veteran depth in the outfield.

In summary, the Phillies improve for ’12 by replacing Blanton with Oswalt and having Drabek waiting in the Minors if needed.  They also add a possible top-three starter in the future who won’t cost them a lot of money.

Why is makes sense for the Blue Jays:

Toronto has a lot of hitting depth.  All of their starting hitters other than Yunel Escobar could be reasonably projected to hit more than 20 homers this season.  Make they lack is star quality in the batting order.  Only Jose Bautista fits that profile and of their young players, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Brett Lawrie being a true difference maker with the bat.  Brown was the #4 rated prospect in all of baseball my MLB.com at the start of the ’11 season.  He has the upside Toronto is looking for and could be a middle of the order bat in short order.  AA could ship him off to Vegas to start the season, with the goal of bringing him up permanently once he gets into a groove.

Blanton will improve Toronto’s pitching depth, which will be necessary if they are going to make a run at the new wildcard spot.  They’ll have to ship Brett Cecil or Henderson Alvarez down to the Minors to start the season, but given the collective injury histories of Brandon Morrow, Blanton and Dustin McGowan, they should be back up before long.  If Toronto can stay in the race, adding Blanton will be a big help.  If they are several games back in July, they can deal him for a prospect and a contender can use him as a rental.

The Blue Jays have a lot of young pitchers in the Minors and should have more pitching depth than most organizations in a year or two.  That allows them to deal Drabek for a good young hitter and still have the young pitching they need.

Drabek and Snider have both been disappointments in recent seasons and are no longer regarded as highly as they used to.  A fresh start could be good for both of them and the Blue Jays get to start fresh with Brown, who has more talent than either prospect.

In summary, the Blue Jays are better for the ’12 season by having another useful starter in Blanton and they don’t lose anything by using Eric Thames instead of Snider.  For the long-term, Brown could be a difference maker in the organization.

Carpenter’s pain in the neck

Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter is dealing with a bulging disk in his neck, and there is concern that he won’t be ready for the start of the regular season. This is definitely a situation for fantasy owners to watch. The big right-hander will turn 37 during April and has a lengthy injury history. He threw over 270 meaningful innings in ’11 between the regular season and playoffs, so his workload entering this campaign would have been an issue even without the neck injury. On the bright side, the injury could be a good thing.  It’ll slow Carpenter down in Spring Training and even if he starts the season a little late, he could still throw 200 innings and help fantasy owners plenty. But I’m not leaning towards the bright side this time –- downgrade Carp on your lists and expects additional problems to surface in the next six months.

Maybe this Billy Beane guy knows what he’s doing!

Yoenis Cespedes has done nothing but impress since arriving in A’s camp.  The 26-year-old had two hits, including a homer, in his Cactus League debut.  It looks like Beane’s expectation that Cespedes can walk right into a starting spot on the A’s isn’t so much of a stretch after all.  The Cuban import offers power and speed, and if he can hit for average in his rookie season, he’ll be an asset in even the shallowest mixed leagues.  A 20-20 season could be too much to expect, but 15-15 seems attainable.

Inge handles the switch

Brandon Inge wanted a shot at making the switch to second base, and so far he seems up to the task. Tigers manager Jim Leyland has raved about Inge’s defense and the diminutive infielder is now squarely in the battle for playing time with Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago. AL-only owners should move Inge up a few spots, but he doesn’t hit for enough average to register on the mixed league radar. Keep in mind that Raburn laced his third big fly of the spring on Sunday, so he’s not giving up his job without a fight.

Snider battles Thames

The Jays are letting Travis Snider and Eric Thames battle it out for their left field job.  Manager John Farrell suggested that Thames’ success in ’11 gives him a slight leg up on Snider, but the underdog is making his presence felt early in Spring Training.  Thames has held his own with the bat so far, but Snider has gone deep three times in a little more than a week.  Owners in deep mixed leagues need to watch this competition closely — the winner will be a decent fifth outfielder.

Trout laid up

Angels phenom Mike Trout has reportedly lost ten pounds in the past week while dealing with a severe bout of the flu.  The youngster was unlikely to make the big club out of Spring Training anyway, but this missed time should seal his fate. He’ll miss 1-2 weeks of spring games and will almost certainly be optioned to Triple-A in late March.  Owners in shallow leagues will have to let him go undrafted, as it will take a serious injury to an Angels outfielder for Trout to earn significant fantasy value this season.

Braden targets May

Originally, the A’s hoped to add Dallas Braden in their rotation for the first time they need a fifth starter, which will come near the middle of April. But Braden’s recovery from shoulder surgery will now continue through the season’s first month. It’s likely that both Brad Peacock and Tom Milone will start 2012 in the A’s rotation, and young hurler Jarrod Parker could make some April starts too.  Oakland has traditionally been a great place to find sleeper starters, so the back end of Bob Melvin’s rotation deserves some attention in deeper leagues.

Blue Jays target pitching

Jays GM Alex Anthopolous was spotted at the Phillies game on Saturday while his own starter, Dustin McGowan, was taking a major step forward in his bid for a rotation spot.  Toronto’s GM watched Joe Blanton pitch and then headed for his car once the right-hander’s day was done.  This obviously led to immediate internet rumors about the Blue Jays eyeing Blanton to bolster their rotation now that a second Wild Card is in place.  Fantasy owners in deep leagues will have to think about who would be bumped from the team’s rotation if a starter is added.  My guess: Anthopolous knows that McGowan’s health is hard to count on, so he’s doing his due diligence in researching other options in case his projected fifth starter can’t make it through Spring Training.  McGowan is out of options, so he can’t go to the Minors and I doubt that the franchise would reward Brett Cecil for his improved dedication (32 lbs. weight loss) by shipping him to Las Vegas.  That leaves Henderson Alvarez, who projects to be a better pitcher than Blanton or anyone else the team could pick up cheaply.

Shaun Marcum hurting

Marcum has been shut down for a couple days this week while he deals with a sore shoulder.  The Brewers are saying that the injury isn’t considered serious at this point, but it’s definitely something for fantasy owners to keep an eye on.  Marcum’s injury history isn’t good – he missed all of the 2009 season.  I’m especially worried about the right-hander because of his massive struggles down the stretch last season.  Combine a poor finish and a painful start to Spring Training and I’ve already made the decision to significantly downgrade Marcum on my draft board.

Madson not concerned

The Reds new closer is dealing with minor elbow soreness.  Unlike Marcum, I’m not ready to downgrade Madson on my draft board just yet.  As a reliever, he will need less time to build up less endurance during Spring Training than Marcum.  It’s worth noting that Madson did spend some time on the DL last summer, so his recent injury history isn’t completely clean.  Sean Marshall has the best chance of picking up ’12 saves if Madson misses any time.  Marshall’s effectiveness as a setup man makes him worth a pick in deeper leagues even if he isn’t working the ninth inning.

Davis opens the competition

The Rays are expected to have a tough decision between Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis for the final rotation spot.  It’s a great problem to have, and one of the reasons that they are a popular playoff pick this season.  Niemann’s ’12 numbers give him an advantage over Davis, who has failed to dominate hitters over the past two seasons.  Still, Davis fired a pair of scoreless innings in his first spring appearance, which will certainly keep him in the race.  Both pitchers can only be considered end-game picks in mixed leagues until one emerges as the winner of this competition.  Niemann offers more upside than Davis, unless the latter can start punching out batters at a higher rate.

Freddie Freeman is back

Freeman only missed a few days with a partially dislocated kneecap and was back in game action on Tuesday.  The injury isn’t something for fantasy owners to worry about and he should return to his regular spot on ’12 draft lists.

Johan Santana is back!

Santana threw a pair of scoreless innings in his spring debut, which means that the left-hander will start shooting up draft boards.  The Mets were happy with his velocity and Santana is slated to throw a regularly scheduled bullpen session on Thursday.  While he remains one of the riskiest starting pitchers for your ’12 roster, his upside is tough to ignore when rounding out a staff.  Keep in mind that Santana was not pitching like an ace in the months leading up to his elbow injury so it would be foolish to expect the 32-year-old to post elite totals this season.  But, any starter with a 3.11 career ERA and 133 wins is worth a few bucks on draft day.

Ike Davis may have Valley Fever

Valley Fever is a serious illness and it couldn’t have come at a worse time for Davis, who looked primed to bounce back from his ’11 ankle injury. Conor Jackson dealt with Valley Fever in ’09 and was limited to 30 games. Jackson reported feeling extremely weak and tired. If Davis does have Valley Fever — and if the condition affects him similarly to how it affected Jackson — Davis goes from being a great mixed-league sleeper to nothing more than a late-round flier. Mets GM Sandy Alderson said Sunday that Davis will be “under no real restriction” during camp, but this is a big story to monitor in the coming days.

Yoenis Cespesdes arrives in A’s camp

Cespedes finalized a four-year deal with the A’s and arrived in Arizona over the weekend. The 26-year-old seems likely to win a spot on the Opening Day roster, if for no other reason than that Billy Beane wants him to. After arriving in camp late, it might benefit Cespedes to spend some time in the Minors, away from all the pressures of a Major League fan base. I’m expecting some growing pains in his first season in the U.S.  While Cespedes will likely show flashes of talent, I wouldn’t trust him in a 12-team mixed league and I likely wouldn’t pay enough to earn his services in AL-only formats. Let someone else take this gamble.

A setback for Carl Crawford

Crawford experienced some inflammation in his surgically repaired left wrist after swinging the bat last week and isn’t sure when he’ll be ready to swing again. The outfielder referred to the situation as a setback and it’s another reasons to expect Crawford to stay on the DL for at least the majority of April. Simply put, the left fielder isn’t close to game action. As I said in an earlier edition of STN, you can’t predict more than 500 at-bats for Crawford and that makes him nothing more than an average mixed-league outfielder.

Stephen Drew may start season on DL

Drew acknowledged that his ankle may not be ready for Opening Day. The 28-year-old described his injury as one that takes a full year to completely heal, meaning that he may not be 100 percent until July. Fantasy owners shouldn’t expect more than 450 at-bats from Drew, who could need more days off even after he makes his season debut. He’s nothing more than a $1-2 gamble in mixed leagues.

A.J. Burnett to miss 8-12 weeks

Burnett can’t catch a break. Finally freed from the pressures of pitching in New York, he quickly suffered an eye injury that will keep him out for a couple months. Burnett won’t see Spring Training action, so he’ll need a lengthy rehab assignment once he’s ready for games. I don’t expect to see him in a Pirates uniform until June, which means he should start the season on waivers in mixed leagues. NL-only owners will need to weigh Burnett’s value based on their league rules and how easily they can stash him in a DL slot.

Soriano could become an unlikely leadoff hitter.

Cubs look to Soriano at the top

The Cubs are serious about the possibility of moving the 36-year-old Soriano to their leadoff spot. It’s a curious choice considering he posted a .289 OBP in ’11. The rebuilding Cubbies would like to figure out the best spots for youngsters like Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney so that their key players can fill optimal roles. The players who aren’t part of the club’s long-term future — like Soriano — can fill in around the youngsters. From the top spot, Soriano will score more runs and may even swipe a few more bags. But his best remaining skill is power and that will be wasted from a leadoff role. Without a decent RBI total, Soriano won’t offer much production to fantasy owners.

Julio Teheran gets whiplash

Teheran served up six dingers while getting six outs against the Tigers on Sunday. The conditions weren’t ideal, with a strong wind blowing out, but it’s still the kind of performance that will set back his quest for a rotation spot. To put the outing in perspective, the six taters were more than he allowed in the Minors during the entire ’11 season. The Braves rotation is banged up at the moment and there is room for Teheran to make the Opening Day roster, but he’ll need to show improvement in his coming appearances. Fellow phenom Randall Delgado didn’t pitch any better than Teheran, so both youngsters will have something to prove next time out. Mike Minor is looking better all the time for a rotation spot and even Kris Medlan could sneak back into the starting picture at some point this month.

Corey Hart needs surgery

Hart will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks. There are 4 1/2 weeks until Opening Day, so Hart will have a tough time getting healthy in time make Milwaukee’s initial lineup card. Since the towering power hitter won’t get in a lot of spring work, he’ll likely need to start the season on the DL while he regains his timing in the Minors.  Norichika Aoki and Carlos Gomez will likely fill in for Hart, with Aoki possibly garnering the bulk of the work in right field. That will make Aoki relevant in deeper leagues in April, meaning that he’s a sneaky late-round draft selection.

Interesting choices from Robin Ventura

Ventura’s first proposed batting order is certainly an interesting one. Chicago’s rookie skipper is planning on leading off with Alejandro De Aza and following him with A.J. Pierzynski, Alex Rios and Paul Konerko. Hitting out of the two-hole should allow Pierzynski to score at least 60 runs, even if he gets some routine days off. The catcher’s poor baserunning ability will likely prevent him from scoring 70 times. Rios is coming off a dismal season, but it’s hard not to drive in and score 75 runs from the third spot in the order. Assuming that he can get back on track to some degree, Rios is a great buy-low candidate for ’12 drafts. A lack of talent atop the order could hurt Konerko’s chances of driving in 100 runs, especially with Pierzynski clogging up the basepaths. The new lineup is also bad news for Alexei Ramirez, who will now hit in the bottom third of the order instead of second.  A threat to exceed 80 runs in his old slot, Ramirez will now likely cross home plate fewer than 70 times. With Adam Dunn, Dayan Viciedo, Brent Morel and Gordon Beckham also in the equation, the White Sox may end up with as much hitting talent in the bottom third of the lineup as they have in the top three spots.

Houston: We have a closer!

Astros manager Brad Mills made a surprising decision on Tuesday when he moved Brett Myers to the back end of the bullpen.  It was widely known that the Astros didn’t have a good closer candidate in their ‘pen but it wasn’t the biggest concern on a team that is expected to be one of the worst in the National League.  Making Myers a reliever is a bad baseball decision in my opinion.  On a young team, they’ll get fewer innings out of one of their only quality veteran arms.  And, Myers would have had plenty of trade value in the summer, as a starter to ship out to a contender.  For fantasy purposes, the move is big news.  In 2007, Myers worked as a closer for the Phillies, saving 21 and posting a 4.33 ERA.  The 31-year-old has had an ERA under 4.00 just once in the past five seasons, so he isn’t a lock for success in the ninth inning.  Still, his healthy strikeout rate will give Myers mixed-league value as long as he’s finishing games in Houston.  I’m not projecting more than 25 saves and a 3.50-4.00 ERA.  Those numbers make Myers a weak closer option but he’s worth a shot once the top 25 closers are off the board.

Scott Sizemore out for season

Terrible news for the A’s, Sizemore suffered a torn ACL during his first week of Spring Training.  He’ll miss the entire 2012 season and should be taken off all draft lists.  The A’s now have a huge hole at the hot corner, with Josh Donaldson being Sizemore’s likely replacement. With no Major League experience and mediocre Minor League numbers, Donaldson isn’t worth a pick this spring, outside of AL-only leagues.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the ever-creative Billy Beane looks outside the organization to find a new third baseman during March.  Houston is one team has a glut of marginal talent at that position and Beane could pluck one of those players at little cost.  Chris Johnson isn’t great, but he’s better than what they current have.  The Angels are another team with an extra infielders to offer.

Royals extend Salvador Perez

I’ll rarely comment on contract extensions in this space, since they usually have little to do with fantasy baseball.  But, the underlying impressions of Perez’s extension are worth our attention.  The Royals handed a five-year deal to a 21-year-old catcher who has played 49 Major League games.  Obviously, they love Perez and have a great deal of faith in him.  He’s made a great impression on the franchise with his ability to hit for contact, defensive skills and leadership abilities.  He’s going to play a lot this year and his body should be able to handle it.  He’s a really underrated second catcher option in deeper mixed leagues.

Bobby Abreu to get 400 plate appearances

Angels management had sit-down with Abreu and told the 37-year-old that he should expect about 400 plate appearances in ’12.  That should translate to about 350 at-bats, for those who use batting average instead of OBP in their leagues.  Abreu isn’t worth a draft pick in any mixed leagues as long as his playing time expectation is so low.  However, it would only take one injury to an Angels first baseman or outfielder to give small Abreu a boost in playing time.  After hitting .253 with eight homers in over 500 at-bats last season, it’s doubtful that he could do much with the opportunity.

It's too early to overreact to Freeman's injury.

Braves lose Freddie Freeman for two weeks

Freeman’s knee gave out during fielding drills on Tuesday.  He said that a he suffered a similar injury while in the Minors and it cost him a couple weeks.  At this point, I wouldn’t downgrade his regular season projections.  If the young slugger is back in action by the middle of March, he’ll have plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day.  The injury might be enough for me to take a first baseman from the same tier before Freeman if I had the choice.  Someone like Ike Davis or Adam Lind would be a good fit at that point in a draft.

Franklin Gutierrez heads back to Seattle

Gutierrez suffered an partially torn pectoral muscle while making a throw during drills and has flown to Seattle for further tests.  He is going to miss at least four weeks and possibly more.  That means that the team will almost certainly start the season with their center fielder on the DL.  It’s a shame — Gutierrez gained significant weight in the off-season and was a bounceback candidate after being held back by stomach issues for the better part of two seasons.  Fantasy owners can go ahead and strike him off sleeper lists.

Ryan Howard is no longer ahead of schedule

Howard started off Spring Training with a report that he was ahead of schedule in his rehab from Achilles tendon surgery.  But, an infection in the area of the surgery is going to halt his progress for a few days, which will take away any optimism that the Phillies cleanup hitter will be back in April.  A May return is still likely, but don’t count on it happening near the beginning of the month.  Since fantasy owners who choose Howard need to have another first baseman available for the first six weeks of the season, he’s not an option for the first ten rounds of mixed-league drafts.

Ryan Braun, freed!

The conclusion of Braun’s suspension appeal has been well documented, so there’s no need to go into those details here.  For fantasy owners, Braun’s early return to action means another option in the top five picks.  In last weekend’s LABR Mixed League selection, Braun went sixth — a little low in my opinion.  A case can be made for the Brewers outfielder as the No. 1 pick, and I can’t find a reason to push him lower than No. 3. I like him better than Miguel Cabrera, whose slimmer body and position change could affect his offensive production.  Matt Kemp has a similar profile to Braun, with 30/30 expectations, and it’s hard to bet against Albert Pujols.  But in my opinion, no other player can match the numbers that Braun will likely put up.

Grady Sizemore is already hurt again

The Tribe brought back Sizemore on a one-year deal in hopes that he could put his injury woes behind him.  Less than a week into Spring Training, Sizemore is already on the injury report.  This time it’s a back injury that will likely keep the outfielder out of action until sometime in April.  Sizemore’s not worth a late-round pick in most mixed leagues, and those in AL-only formats will need to think long and hard before bidding even a few dollars for a player who’s unlikely to reach 400 at-bats.

Roy Oswalt plays the waiting game

Oswalt has indicated that he he’ll sit around the house for the first half of the season, evaluate his options and then sign with a contender this summer.  While this ensures the right-hander of competing in a postseason push, it makes him virtually undraftable in most leagues.  In mixed leagues, he should start the season on the waiver wire.  In AL or NL-only formats with early drafts, I would use a final-round pick on Oswalt and hope that he ends up signing with a team during March.  There’s always a chance that one club will suffer a significant pitching injury during Spring Training and make Oswalt an offer he can’t refuse.  That gamble is worth more for a fantasy owner than picking Omar Vizquel or any similar low-upside last-rounder who will be available for free during the season’s first week if Oswalt is still unemployed.

Scott Sizemore suffers a left knee sprain

A bad week to be a Sizemore!  The A’s infielder sprained his knee shortly after arriving in camp and it’s not yet known how much time he’ll miss.  It’s too early to change Sizemore’s draft ranking, since there’s a good chance that he’ll be back in action within a few weeks.  Slated to get the bulk of playing time at the hot corner for the A’s, Sizemore is a decent late round gamble in mixed leagues.  He needs improve against right-handers but offers a little power and speed. If the 27-year-old ends up missing regular season games, Josh Donaldson, Eric Sogard and Adam Rosales would become late-round AL-only fliers.

Joel Zumaya faces another surgery

Zumaya is valiantly trying to get his career back on track, but the odds seem stacked against the hard-throwing reliever.  After throwing just 13 Spring Training pitches, Zumaya left with elbow pain and was diagnosed with a torn ligament.  While he’s currently evaluating his options, Tommy John surgery appears likely.  Time to scratch this name off all AL-only draft lists.

Kris Medlen expects to head to the bullpen

Medlen acknowledged that while he would like to be in the mix for a rotation spot, he’s almost certainly destined for the ‘pen.  The Braves have so much pitching depth that they have the luxury of using one of their best young arms in a relief role.  Medlen is still draftable in NL-only leagues, as he should have success as a reliever, but Randall Delgado, Mike Minor and Julio Teheran are better selections.  A couple of those young starters will be in the April rotation, and they all have the talent to make an impact in the Majors this season.

Cano ascends to the three-hole

An underrated story from the first week of Spring Training was the Yankees’ decision to make Cano the centerpiece of their mashing offense.  It’s a smart move, as the second baseman has been the team’s best hitter in recent seasons.  Moving up in the order means a small bump in Cano’s projected numbers.  He should be among the league leaders in runs and RBIs, and could reach 30 homers for the first time this season. Cano doesn’t offer much speed, but his numbers in the other three counting stats, combined with a .310 batting average and 2B eligibility, make him a solid first-round pick.  Once the top four picks are off the board, I don’t see any reason that Cano can’t be considered with Ellsbury, Tulowitzki, Votto and the Gonzalez’s (Adrian and Carlos).  The most direct comparison would be to Tulowitzki, since both are middle infielders.  I’d argue that Cano is more consistent, more durable and has better support around him.  Tulowitzki is a trendy pick this year, but Cano may be the better guy to grab.

Chris Perez unlikely for Opening Day

Perez suffered an oblique strain and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.  If he can stay on the short end of that timetable, there’s a chance the Tribe’s closer will be available on Opening Day — but that seems likely.  Split the difference and call it a five-week injury, which would have Perez begin throwing again on April 1.  With a little extended Spring Training work, he’ll need a DL stint and rehab assignment to get ready for the regular season.  Coming back in the middle of April seems possible, but late in the month is more realistic.  Vinnie Pestano is the favorite for early-season saves in Cleveland and is now worth a late-round mixed-league pick.  Take note, however, that the Indians have several skilled relievers and could opt for a closer committee in April.

Spring Training is here and fantasy draft season is back!  It’s a great time to be a baseball fan, and especially one who participates in one of the many fantasy baseball leagues across America.  I pulled up a chair for a spot in the inaugural LABR Mixed League draft on February 25^th.  Against a talented group of industry veterans that represented some of the best websites and publications around, I put my winter research to the test.  I came away with a group that I’m pretty happy to call my own, but I must say that Tin Heaney of KFFL and Drew Silva of Rotoworld sniped a few of my picks from me from the fourth and fifth slots!  Without getting into each pick, here are the ones I made that left the biggest impression on me:

Picks I Liked

Matt Kemp (Round 1) – Picked third and nabbed my top ranked player.  Yep, that’s a good way to start!  I love Kemp’s 50/50 prediction for himself this season.  Sure, he won’t come close to it.  But the statement shows that he’s still focused on improving and winning the NL MVP. I’m expecting something in the neighborhood of 35/35.

Ian Kennedy (Round 6) – Without a starter after the first five frames, I crossed my fingers that there would be someone I really liked left at the tail end of the sixth.  Kennedy fit the bill perfectly.  If he can come close to duplicating his ’11 ERA and WHIP, he should be able to win about 17 games on a talented D-backs squad.

Jason Motte (Round 11) – Another pitcher I crossed my fingers on.  When I picked in round 11, I gambled that one of the five or six remaining closers that interested me would still be there in 26 picks.  Motte was the only one to make it back, after Sergio Santos was taken shortly before my turn.  Pairing Motte with Craig Kimbrel gives me a great starting point in saves.  Motte’s a talented reliever and there is no reason to believe that he won’t hold down the closer job all season.

Doug Fister (Round 20) – I have to admit, I was surprised to find Fister on the board this late.  I don’t foresee owning the control specialist in a lot of leagues this year but he fell in my lap as a fifth starter.  Detroit’s shaky infield defense isn’t going to do him any favors but their talented offense and mediocre division foes should ensure that Fister wins around 14-15 games.

Alejandro De Aza (Round 19) – The rebuilding White Sox are expected to use De Aza on a regular basis this season and it looks like he’ll be their leadoff hitter.  From that spot, he should be able to exceed 20 steals and cross home plate 80-90 times.  Add in a decent batting average and you’ve got a great fifth outfielder for deeper mixed leagues like this one.

Picks I Worry About

Elvis Andrus (Round 3) – For ’12 drafts, I feel like the talent really drops off around pick 30.  So, picking 33^rd in this league wasn’t a great spot for me.  I reached a bit for Andrus.  I don’t like a lot of shortstops this season, in relation to where I have seen them drafted.  Batting high in the Rangers lineup, Andrus is a candidate to hit over .280 with 40 steals and 90-100 runs scored.  I think his numbers will be very similar to Jose Reyes, with a lot less hype.  Hamilton, Beltre, Young, Cruz, Napoli – the list of talented hitters that follows Andrus seems to be endless.  Still, I’m aware that I did reach for the young speedster a bit and he was slated to go later in the third frame or early on in the fourth.

Brett Lawrie (Round 4) – Lawrie has the upside to be worth a second or third round pick in his first full season.  With good health, he could go 25/25 and put up strong numbers in the other three standard categories.  But, he plays the game so hard that there is a decent chance that the third baseman will wind up on the DL at some point this season.  I was able to add Martin Prado later on, so I won’t be left lacking at third base if Lawrie hits the DL at some point.

Mat Latos (Round 8) – With only two hurlers after the first seven rounds, I felt the need to grab one in the eighth.  Latos was the highest ranked pitcher left on my list but his bust potential is higher than most.  Combine his ’11 DL stint and offseason trade out of spacious Petco Park, and there are two significant reasons to doubt Latos.  If I had it to do over again, I might have dropped further down my list and picked up a more dependable hurler like Dan Hudson to go with Kennedy but I couldn’t resist Latos’ upside.

Carlos Quentin (Round 14) – I needed power and four more outfielders, so Quentin fit the bill at this point.  But, there is a lot of risk in drafting an aging, injury-prone slugger who is leaving The Cell and heading to Petco.  The park effect will cost him some dingers and the lack of a DH spot to nestle into when he has minor aches and pains could cost Quentin some playing time.  Since I didn’t draft any other pure power hitters, I need him to smack at least 25 homers this season.

Overall, I think this is a horse I can ride!  I expect to be among the league leaders in steals, runs and batting average, and I believe that my pitching will do well too.  There are so many variables at this point in the season that for now I just hope my roster is healthy on Opening Day.

You can check out the full draft results HERE.

And, here’s a link to Mike Podhorzer’s wrapup from the draft’s #1 spot.  You can also read recaps from Tim Heaney and Jonah Keri. 

Brett Lawrie might hit 6th or 7th, Johnson 2nd

Blue Jays skipper John Farrell will try to keep the pressure of their young phenom early in the season by hitting him lower in the order.  That leaves Yunel Escobar hitting leadoff with Jose Bautista third and Adam Lind fourth.  Currently, Farrell is leaning towards hitting Kelly Johnson in the two-hole, which would allow Johnson to go over 80 runs scored.  Combine that total with decent power and speed and Johnson is a solid second basemen for mixed-league owners who miss out on the top tiers.

Casey Kotchman is the Tribe’s everyday first baseman

Indians manager Manny Acta arrived at camp and promptly declared that Kotchman will be getting nearly all the starts at first.  Thanks for coming out, Matt LaPorta!  LaPorta is likely ticketed for Triple-A, unless the Indians totally give up and trade him away during March.  At age 27, LaPorta is no longer a prospect and it’s clear that he wasn’t a good enough return for C.C. Sabathia.  Meanwhile, Kotchman will provide a bunch of ground balls, a respectable batting average and very little power for about 500 at-bats. Don’t look for him to hit .300 again but .280 is reasonable.  He’s a bench player in deeper mixed leagues and a decent corner infielder in AL-only.

Mannyball arrives in Oaktown

Leave it to Billy Beane to think outside the box and take a chance on the disgraced slugger.  Ramirez will need to miss the first 50 games of the season, but he shows he can still hit during Spring Training, he should be the team’s regular DH near the beginning of June.  Manny isn’t worth drafting in mixed leagues but he will be worth a waiver claim in deeper formats once his suspension runs out.  Of course, all of this assumes that he can rip a few doubles this spring and knock a couple balls over the fence too.  Don’t put it past him – Manny’s motivated and he has as much natural talent as nearly any hitter who tapped his lumber the batter’s box in the past twenty years.

Chien-Ming Wang has a sore shoulder

This isn’t something for mixed-league owners to concern themselves with but NL-only types should monitor Wang.  If healthy, he can round out a single universe rotation but with his lengthy injury history it would be foolish to expect more than 100 innings from the 31-year-old.

Expect at least 70 RBIs from Ichiro this season.

Ichiro moved to the heart of the order

After years of setting the table, Ichiro Suzuki is going to hit third when the Mariners open the season in Japan.  It’s a reflection on the lack of power and overall talent in Seattle’s lineup but it should allow the veteran import to earn a career-high RBI total.  It’s also likely that Suzuki will steal fewer bases from his new spot, but manager Eric Wedge may choose to let him run often because of the lack of a traditional cleanup hitter behind him.  Chone Figgins is the new leadoff man, making the 34-year-old worth a buck in mixed leagues.  Don’t forget, Figgins had consecutive 40-swipe campaigns before bottoming out in ’11.  Dustin Ackley will be sandwiched between the two speedsters, and should score his share of runs from the two-hole.  It’s likely that the Mariners will finish last in the AL in scoring, so don’t expect major production from any of their hitters.

Jon Garland hits the open market again

Garland skipped a scheduled physical with the Indians, so he won’t end up finalizing his Minor League deal.  The veteran soft-tosser would have competed with Kevin Slowey and Jeanmar Gomez for the fifth starter job.  The outlook for Slowey is now a little brighter, while Garland shouldn’t be taken in any February drafts.

Scott Kazmir looks for a new home

Kazmir threw in front of scouts from several clubs on Tuesday and was said to have touched roughly 90mph on the radar gun.  He’ll likely find a taker but it will be a Minor League deal and he’ll almost certainly need to start the season in Triple-A.  Let him fall to waivers in all formats and then evaluate him later in the spring.

A.J. Burnett dealt to Pittsburgh

Burnett didn’t want to leave the Eastern Time Zone, so he nixed a deal to the Angels.  While few players would rather play in Pittsburgh than Los Angeles, this trade could actually be a boon for the aging hurler’s fantasy value.  Burnett should fare better in the NL, and it could be argued that he is moving from baseball strongest division to the weakest one.  On a mediocre Pirates squad, it will be hard for the right-hander to win more than 12 games, but Burnett’s ERA and WHIP should decline noticeably.  With the ability to strike out roughly a batter per inning, this hard-throwing veteran needs to remain on the radar in deeper mixed leagues, despite his disappointments 2011 results.

Yankees expected to add Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez

While these signings aren’t official, it’s expected that the Bombers will use the money saved in the Burnett trade to ink a couple veteran hitters.  Ibanez would team with Andruw Jones to fill the designated hitter role, with Jones drawing starts against southpaws and Ibanez finding his name on the lineup card whenever a right-hander takes the hill.  It’s conceivable that Ibanez could reach 400 at-bats, which would give him enough playing time to hit more than 15 dingers.  Mixed-league owners can likely find options that have more upside but he’ll be a fine fourth outfielder in AL-only formats.  Chavez would serve as a backup infielder, making him useful only as a last resort on AL-only teams.

Carl Crawford to “miss a few weeks”

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine revealed this week that he expects Crawford to miss the start of the season while he recovers from off-season wrist surgery.  The recovery will seriously limit the speedster during Spring Training, which is exactly what he didn’t need after struggling in Beantown in 2011.  When he gets in the lineup, it looks like Crawford will hit 6^th or 7^th.  Given his spot in the order and injury problems, it’s hard to project the 30-year-old for more than 500 at-bats.

Kosuke Fukudome tries the South Side

Fukudome held out for a starting gig this winter but couldn’t find one.  In the end, he’ll settle for a fourth outfielder role with the Pale Hose.  Now on the South Side of Chicago, Fukudome will back up veteran Alex Rios, late bloomer Alejandro De Aza and youngster Dayan Viciedo.  That’s not exactly Kemp, Ellsbury and Braun so there is a good chance that Fukudome will play more often than most backup outfielders.  His pedestrian power and speed limits his fantasy value to a fourth outfielder in AL-only leagues.

Tribe gives Jon Garland Minor League deal

Garland missed most of ’11 after undergoing rotator cuff surgery.  The soft-tosser is expected to compete with Kevin Slowey for the final rotation spot.  If he wins the job, Garland’s low strikeout rate gives him very little upside for fantasy purposes.  Slowey would have more potential if he can win the spot, since he has shown a decent strikeout rate and an ability to keep his WHIP down.

Leyland gives Brandon Inge a chance

With Miguel Cabrera’s move to the hot corner, Inge has little chance for regular playing time this season.  The scrappy infielder asked manager Jim Leyland for a chance to compete for the second base job and the skipper went for it.  The 34-year-old is a long shot to win the job, since Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn are superior hitters with more experience at the position.  It’s more likely that Inge will back up Cabrera, picking up a couple starts per week.  He’s a late round pick in AL-only leagues, at best.

Vogelsong will try to show that his '11 success was not a fluke.

Ryan Vogelsong slowed by back injury

Vogelsong is dealing with a back injury (caused by weight training) and is expected to miss the first ten days of organized workouts.  The 34-year-old doesn’t feel that the injury is a big deal and for now fantasy owners can agree with him.  The Giants won’t need Vogelsong until the fourth or fifth game of the season so he can pick up additional work later in March if necessary.  Back injuries can be troublesome but are generally less scary than an elbow or shoulder problem.

And, Jim Johnson too!

Like Vogelsong, Johnson will miss about a week of spring work due to a sore back.  Johnson is the leading candidate to close for the O’s so this is an injury to keep an eye on.  Relievers generally need less spring work than starters so a veteran like Johnson should have plenty of time to be ready for Opening Day as long as he can put the injury behind him by the time our calendars turn to March.

Alex Presley has a leg up on the competition

Bucs General Manager Neil Huntington arrived as Spring Training and disclosed that he expects Presley to win the left field job.  The team brought back Nate McLouth over the winter but it looks like the veteran is ticketed for a backup role.  With a full-time job, Presley could swipe 20 bases, so he needs to be on the radar in deeper mixed leagues.

Mike Cameron retires

Cameron was facing an uphill battle to secure regular playing time in Washington and at age 39, he decided to pack it in instead.  The Nats have been looking for a quality center fielder for a while but will likely be forced to open the season with a combination of Rick Ankiel and Roger Bernadina.  The other option is to move Jayson Werth to the middle and promote phenom Bryce Harper.  But that move would compromise the team’s defense and could rush Harper before he is ready.