2012 LABR NL-Only Draft Results

by Ray Guilfoyle on Mar 4, 2012 9:03 PM EST in Baseball

The League of Alternative Reality NL-Only auction draft is taking place right now, and you can find the up to the minute results here.

Here are some early auction results:

Joey Votto - $40

Matt Kemp - $40

Ryan Braun - $38

Giancarlo Stanton -$33

Hanley Ramirez - $34

Ryan Howard - $17

Michael Cuddyer - $27

Jason Heyward - $25

Bryce Harper - $8

Dee Gordon - $24

Paul Goldschmidt - $22

Buster Posey - $19

Some starting pitcher auction values and my early thoughts after the jump:

Before I get to the starting pitcher auction values, Dodgers closer Javy Guerra went for $11, while set up man Kenley Jansen went for $13, so the experts are of the opinion that Jansen should wrestle the closer's job from Guerra at some point this season. Smart?

Starting pitcher auction values:

Roy Halladay - $28

Clayton Kershaw - $26

Zack Greinke - $26

Cliff Lee - $26

Tim Lincecum - $24

Yovani Gallardo - $23

Cole Hamels - $22

Stephen Strasburg - $22

I was surprised none of the ace starting pitchers went for $30. I thought for sure at least a Halladay, Kershaw or Lee would break the $30 barrier. Gallardo going for a dollar more than Hamels was a little surprising as well.

The biggest surprise for me was the $24 bid on Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon. Many think he is a risk, but I do not, but I see the argument. But $24 for Gordon? Wow. I hope Yahoo's Brandon Funston is right about him. as he won the bidding on Gordon.

Poll

Is $24 on Dee Gordon in an NL-Only league too much?

Yes

207 votes

No

46 votes

253 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 15 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Cuddyer $27??

Why?

by robg62 on Mar 4, 2012 9:23 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Colorado I guess

Ray Guilfoyle
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by Ray Guilfoyle on Mar 4, 2012 9:53 PM EST up reply actions

$24 on Lincecum is insane...

… that owner will be sorry. Especially considering Kershaw, Halladay and Lee went for only a few bucks more. I would’ve rather spent $30 on any of those guys. Ray, what is all the hype on Gordon? $24 is crazy!

Formerly known as AlohaHalofan

by Erick Danielsen on Mar 5, 2012 12:38 AM EST via mobile reply actions

let me clarify that I feel that way about Lincecum..

Formerly known as AlohaHalofan

by Erick Danielsen on Mar 5, 2012 12:48 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

sorry..

Formerly known as AlohaHalofan

by Erick Danielsen on Mar 5, 2012 12:49 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

wow serious phone issues here...

Okay because of how much everyone else went for. I much would rather have Hamels than Lincecum.

Formerly known as AlohaHalofan

by Erick Danielsen on Mar 5, 2012 12:51 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

agreed

Ray Guilfoyle
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by Ray Guilfoyle on Mar 5, 2012 5:54 AM EST up reply actions

Gordon

the hype is resulting from him 24 SBs in just over 200 at bats last season. I think he can steal 50+ bases this season, but there are questions about his ability to get on base. His contact rates and low strikeout rates should allow him to hit for a decent BA. He gained 12 lbs this offseason, so that is a step in the right direction for him, as he is very thin.

Ray Guilfoyle
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by Ray Guilfoyle on Mar 5, 2012 8:36 AM EST up reply actions

Gordon

He has a couple fo good things going for him – speed and the Dodgers financial mess. That should keep him in a full time role.

Working against him is the inability to drive the ball. Will he crack .600 OPS? If he can’t, will any team keep trotting him out there?

$24 is the hope that he is a SS version of Juan Pierre.

by faketeams on Mar 5, 2012 8:46 AM EST up reply actions

to me

he is the same player as Andrus…..his OPS was higher than Andrus’ in the minors….we’ll see if he does it in the majors.

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by Ray Guilfoyle on Mar 5, 2012 9:24 AM EST up reply actions

Sort of Andrus

Maybe but Andrus has three full seasons of major league ABs and is four months younger. Also, Andrus is listed as 50 lbs heavier.

Also, Andrus went from AA to majors at 19. Gordon got to slug 783 at Albequeque in PCL – and still didn’t hit a HR.

I am not saying Gordon is a poor option in an NL only league just that $24 is very agressive. The chance of having the bat knocked out of his hands is higher than that auction value suggests.

never mind Andrus batting eye looks much better.

by faketeams on Mar 5, 2012 11:15 AM EST up reply actions

they have similar contact rates

and Gordon doesn’t strike out a lot……I don’t get teh “bat knocked out of his hands”. I’ve seen others use it, but I have watched him play enough to know it doesn’t happen as often as people think.
Gordon outslugged him at every level…or almost every level., and Gordon didn’t start playing baseball fulltime till his senior in HS.
My point is, if Gordon hit better than ANdrus in the minors, what says he can’t duplicate what Andrus is doing at the major league level?

Ray Guilfoyle
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by Ray Guilfoyle on Mar 5, 2012 11:24 AM EST up reply actions

Comps

Sorry. Gordon is not a good comp with Andrus. Same age and one is considerably more accomplished at the major league level.

Gordon may be a SS version of Juan Pierre. Even that strikes me as unlikely given Pierre was a consistent 1.0+ batting eye guy as a major leaguer.

My best guess for comp value would be Jason Bourgeois with a premium for SS.

If he were, say, $5, then I would be excited on the upside potential with the downside risk completely mitigated away. :)

by faketeams on Mar 5, 2012 11:40 AM EST up reply actions

ok

we can agree to disagree. If you don’t look at age, Gordon has less baseball experience than Andrus……yet outhit him in the minors, even though he was seen as “not strong enough”. How does one explain that?

what are the odds Gordon hits for a better BA and steals more bases than Andrus this year? I think it is possible.

Ray Guilfoyle
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by Ray Guilfoyle on Mar 5, 2012 12:27 PM EST up reply actions

AVG

I don’t believe Gordon hits for a better AVG than Andrus. The question for me is how great the spread has to be for Andrus to also out-steal him.

I do not have great confidence in Gordon surpassing the 310 area in OBP whereas Andrus should be in the 350 area.

If Gordon does not get 40+ infield hits, I am not sure he can crack .300 OBP and that will hamper his opportunites to add the only offensive value he brings. FWIW, 21 of his 68 hits last year were of the infield variety.

by faketeams on Mar 5, 2012 4:54 PM EST up reply actions