Rocky Mountain News reports converting-to-2B Jeff Baker has already emerged as the main competition for Jayson Nix at 2B. I can't help thinking this was the Rockies' hope all along. How can Baker have already surpassed Marcus Giles and Ian Stewart if the organization wasn't already predisposed to having Baker win the job?
Recall Jeff Baker was a SS at Clemson University before moving over to 3B for Khalil Greene. I wonder if he wouldn't already be the Rox' 2B if there wasn't such an ingrained progression for power bats to move to the outfield or 1B when they find themselves blocked at a position?
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Two days after selecting Rays' LHP Scott Kazmir with my 6th round selection, he walks off the mound with some elbow issue. My very first thought was, "I should have taken a hitter." I don't know who that hitter should have been, but I know it should have been a hitter.
Then I forced myself into some dissonance soothing and reminded myself that missing the first two weeks of Spring Training means nothing. If my draft had been today, Kazmir would have gone a little later in the draft. but the prognosis isn't so alarming that I believe he would have fallen much further than a round or so.
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For those leagues with minor league drafts of only ROY-eligible players, Carlos Gomez does not qualify as a rookie. He spend 53 on the Mets active roster last season (May 13- July 4). Despite being listed on most prospects lists, he is not a rookie.
Another player in a similar situation is Rangers' catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Rumblings have him beginning the season in AAA in order to catch full-time. If he did, he would also be ineligible.
What this means for many fantasy players is there will be two quality young hitters sitting in the minors who will be recalled in 2008 and fetch reasonable waiver claims and/or FAAB bids. Keep that in mind when you're two catchers in a traditional AL-Only 4x4 league are Jose Molina and Rob Bowen.
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Here's an interesting Rotisserie baseball website for those starving for traditional AL- and NL-only blogging - Roto Think Tank. It is a must-read for me after being introduced to it within the context of these two posts at Baseball Think Factory.