re: Votto Is A Catcher Season Long Thread

14. Tthomasjr24

Hitting (13): I think there are too many question marks in this lineup for my liking. I am not ready to trust Montero, Hosmer, or Ackley yet. I love Espinosa, but he is at risk to be platooned with Lombardozzi and the chance of Rendon coming up. Also, Adam Eaton is now hurt. I like the Chris Davis gamble because he could be worth 30+ bombs for cheap. Outside of Cabrera and Bruce, I have far too many uncertainties in this squad.

Pitching (7): It cannot hurt to have arguably the best pitcher in fantasy baseball leading your staff. Scherzer has the upside to be an ace and he is a certainly a major asset in the K department, but which Max Scherzer will we see? If Scherzer and Harvey pan out, then this could be a top group of arms. Between those three and some of Thomas’s relievers, this team is the odds on favorite to score 14 in the strikeout category.

Favorite pick: Shelby Miller $1

Least favorite pick: Danny Espinosa $15

Outlook: With all of these question marks, this team definitely has the potential to easily exceed my rankings. I think Shelby Miller will be worthwhile. Cardinals pitchers always seem to pan out. Moving a closer for an outfielder to replace Eaton might be a good idea. For me, the problem with the offense is that I do not see it scoring too highly in any category, except maybe home runs.

13. Chatagnier

Hitting (12): The headliner is clearly Robinson Cano. After that, the gap between Cano and Allen Craig will determine how good this offense will be. The upside is certainly there with Craig, but $23 is a decent amount to spend on a relatively unproven commodity. For example, his teammate went for the same price. This other $23 buy has hit at least 22 homers every year since 2006 and has hit .295 or better every season of his career outside a .290 average his rookie year. While Craig could very well be the Cardinals top fantasy option this season, I think it is a little too much to spend on a guy who is yet to play 120 games in a season (22 homers in 119 games in 2012). While I am critical of some of the upper tier bats on this squad, I love the depth. Freese, Dunn, Seager, Choo, and Werth could all exceed their price tags with their production. Wil Myers becoming an impact player would be icing on the cake.

Pitching (6): Chat went heavy on low ERA guys. Stras, Zimmermann, Vogelsong, and McCarthy could all have sub 3 ERA’s. I almost expect it from them. However, only the young phenom can make bats miss. Putz and Grilli should be solid in the ninth. In order to compete, the pitching needs to rank very high in ERA, WHIP, S, and QS. I think it will do well in at least three of those categories.

Favorite pick: Shin-Soo Choo $13

Least favorite pick: Allen Craig $23

Outlook: I do not think the hitting will get it done unless the complementary pieces play at or near career levels. A rebound from Choo and another 40 homer season from Dunn would definitely send this team in the right direction. I just do not know if there are enough of those second-tier hitters (around $25) to compete with the top offenses. On the other hand, I think this is the team with the best to have a team ERA below three. Getting at least 35 points from ERA, WHIP, and QS should keep this team competitive. I just do not like there is only guy who racks up strikeouts, but he will get a lot.

12. RollDatRoll

Hitting (14): I looked up and down the roster just in case I missed out on seeing a guy like Matt Kemp hiding in there, but nope. Unless the season plays out like the ATL Thread dreams, then this offense seems pretty weak. Heyward will be great. I think he goes 35-25 this year with a near .400 OBP. The other Brave outfielder on this team will be a bit disappointment, but maybe his play will improve with his brother (like the Webber twins on Backyard Baseball ). Kendrys has just not been the same since his crutch-off grand slam, but I think Utley regains some of his form even at his age. With guys like Yadier and Andrelton, Roll should push for defensive categories. Starting Jedd Gyorko with no other eligible third baseman is about as risky as it gets.

Pitching (5): The staff is deep and loaded. Cain, Bumgarner, Yu, and Medlen form a strong rotation. Morrow will give you 100-150 awesome innings, so that will probably be worth $13. However, I think Yu will continue to walk too many bats to be a top end starter. Medlen is definitely a smart gamble, but I predict he will turn into Ian Kennedy (one great season before being merely good). Erasmo Ramirez was a sexy sleeper, but it looks like he may be a bullpen guy. I love the depth of the starters, but my personal reservations prevent it from the top couple of spots. Three closers will be nice when Motte comes back.

Favorite pick: Michael Cuddyer $3 and Jason Heyward $32

Least favorite pick: Yu Darvish $22

Outlook: I think the bats are a little too weak to overcome. Also, it seems pretty rare that people like to trade for arms, so a couple of the guys will have to perform above their expectations to get this up to par. However, Roll should do well in all five of the pitching categories. Whether the points come from arms or bats do not matter, and in a way, this is like a reverse version of Papz. However, even with all the strong arms, Cain is the only tried and true ace. I am excited to see how this squad stacks up.

11. Hot Stove

Hitting (9): While Honkus won last year with a lot of guys that were in the $20-$30 range (McCutchen, Holliday, etc.) and some terrific drafting/management, he went hard on Carlos Gonzalez and Jose Bautista. These two guys are two of my favorite stud players, but I think the price was a little too high for Cargo. However, Cargo is one of the safest studs in the game, which I love. After the big two, Honkus definitely sat on his hands a little. I am not sure that Rizzo and Jennings will be enough to be his third and fourth best players (especially Jennings), but the Cubs fan in me hopes Rizzo is.

Pitching (11): I absolutely love Matt Moore this season. He will be worth the price even though the price could have had him any pitcher outside the top 10 or so starters. I think Samardzija should be good as well, but this was a little too much of a reach for me. I have to wonder if Alex Cobb and Wade Miley will be enough to supplement the top two arms. Honkus is well off in the closer department.

Favorite pick: Rickie Weeks $12

Least favorite pick: Jeff Samardzija $18 (saying Brandon League would not be fair because he was just draining his extra bucks)

Outlook: The title defense looks to be a little tougher than winning it all last year. I think Honkus will need a player or two to make a big jump get in the money though. I am sure he is hoping that Oscar Taveras is the next Mike Trout, but I think Napoli is the one who could make a difference and be a top catcher like he did in 2011.