Steals seem to be a category that sometimes can be overlooked. We live in a SportsCenter generation where we love the long ball. And sometimes after the draft, you look at your roster, and it has less speed than the cast of “The Biggest Loser”……at the beginning of the season! Here are a list of guys who can give you some of those elusive stolen bases after you drafted nothing but guys the size of Ryan Howard.

Eugenio Velez, SF—the Spring Training leader in steals (with 14 in just 27 games) was the talk of Giants’ camp, not that that is saying much. Velez tried to force himself into the Giants’ plans with a .294 average with two doubles, three triples, and 13 RBI on the Spring. Velez isn’t guaranteed everyday at-bats to start the year, but given Ray Durham’s injury history, the chance is good that Velez will see enough starts to warrant ownership in larger leagues, and certainly NL-only.

Carlos Gomez, MIN—quite possibly the biggest piece of the trade that landed Johan Santana in New York, Gomez was recently named the starting centerfielder for the Twins. He won’t hit for a real high average, won’t hit more than ten homers, but boy can Gomez run. In his final two full seasons in the minors Gomez stole 64 and 41 bases. Given the fact that the Twins probably won’t compete for the playoffs, I’m figuring that they will be giving Gomez the green light a lot, and he certainly has a chance to steal 50 bags in 2008.

Michael Bourn, HOU—Bourn was the one of the prospects dealt in the trade that sent Brad Lidge to Philadelphia, and he has been crowned the starting centerfielder and leadoff hitter for the Astros. Bourn stole 45 bases in his 113 games in the minors last season, and 10 in just 24 games this Spring. Bourn should land in the top five in SBs in the majors this <img align=”left” click here for the rest!

Position Battle Winners

Joe Crede will be the starting 3B for the White Sox beating out Josh Fields…..wait this just in, Crede is injured already!?!?!?! He fouled a ball off his foot and it is possible that he might miss Opening Day. Still think that Crede is only playing to increase his trade value, but knowing his injury history, maybe Fields isn’t going to AAA just yet.

As previously reported, it is official that Jorge Cantu will man third base for the Marlins. If he is able to continue what he did in Spring Training and regain his 2005 form, Cantu could be a major sleeper who could also still have 2B eligibility in your league.

Jayson Nix was also named the starter at 2B for the Rockies. Those of you in keeper leagues were hoping for Ian Stewart to score an upset win here, but he has been sent to Colorado Springs. Nix will hit for a decent average and run some, but don’t count on him to give big production.

Former Mets’ prospect Carlos Gomez has been named the starter in center for the Twins. Was he the best man for the job, or are the Twins just trying to show they got SOMETHING from the Santana trade? Gomez will run a lot, just don’t expect too much more.

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Back in the day, the fact was that almost all fantasy players were really into the game. “Fantasy Dorks” we were called by those not gifted enough to play. A guy who talked about fantasy sports was mocked with such taunts as, “he definitely has no girlfriend” and similar barbs. My, my how times have changed! Now everyone has at least one team, and some are so obsessed with fantasy sports they are well overdue for their own support group.

Being one of those aforementioned ‘fantasy dorks’ with way too much time on my hands, I have gone beyond studying the game to studying the players themselves, and, given my affinity for the movie Reservoir Dogs, I will sometimes assign names to other owners in Fantasy Baseball leagues. And much like Joe, who ran the show in Tarantino’s masterpiece, I don’t allow people to pick their names, although mine are based more on your performance, not random colors. You might not always run into all of these people in every league, but I’d be willing to bet you’ll get two or three every time.

Mr. Add & Drop—almost every league has this guy, and some have more than one. Mr. Add & Drop does exactly what his name says, adds and drops players with all the discretion of your proverbial drunken sailor. I’m talking 2 or 3 moves on a daily basis. I’ve got a guy in one league I’m in who was closing in on 70 moves and the season hasn’t even started yet! All this type of player is doing is recycling one free agent after another, trying to hit that one prize that he can actually use. And when they actually do score a winner, all you’ll hear is them shout to the rooftops about how they knew all along that he was going to be a diamond in the rough, and how smart they were for picking up that player when they did! Can you say blind squirrel? Give your team members a longer leash before they find themselves on the chopping block. You can identify this fan by his unique appreciation of Dan Snyder’s player management.

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Injury News

Bad Break in Detroit—Budding superstud Curtis Granderson broke a finger on his right hand when he was hit by a pitch by Phillies pitcher Travis Blackley. I love when a pitcher you will never hear from again has such a major impact on someone’s season. The initial diagnosis is that Granderson will miss 3-6 weeks. The Tigers (and fantasy owners) will struggle to replace his production. Figure it will be mid to late April before you see Granderson patrolling centerfield for Detroit.

Same old story in Toronto—Scott Rolen has a broken bone and a ripped fingernail after taking ground balls in Sunday. Rolen suffered the injury during routine drills before a game, and he is expected to miss six weeks. Rolen broke the bone above the top knuckle of the middle finger on his right hand, and also reportedly ripped the entire fingernail off of the finger. I doubt too many fantasy teams have Rolen starting at third base, but he could be a useful utility or bench replacement after he returns from this injury.

Father Time Catching Up in Atlanta?—Although it is not official, it appears that John Smoltz will begin the year on the disabled list. Smoltz is experiencing discomfort in his right shoulder, and it is likely the Braves will be conservative and start him on the DL. John will try to play catch (I wish my job involved playing catch!) on either Monday or Tuesday, and if that goes well, an appearance in a minor league game would be the next step. Guys in their 40s with shoulder trouble make me want to find other options, even those with careers as brilliant as Smoltz.
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Bruce Reassigned—The hopes of many fantasy owners were dashed on Thursday, when the Reds assigned prized prospect Jay Bruce to AAA. It now appears that recently signed Corey Patterson will get the nod in centerfield and leadoff. I continue to be baffled by teams picking up retreads to plug into their lineups who will give them modest statistics at best, when they have young kids waiting in the wings who can have a good impact on their team. Thanks for hiring Dusty Baker, don’t be surprised if Joey Votto isn’t far behind. All is not lost for those who own Bruce, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in Cincinnati before too long, much like Ryan Braun last year. If you have a deep bench or can reserve players, holding on to Bruce is not a bad idea.

Also sent to the minors was Seattle catcher Jeff Clement, which comes as no surprise. One of the best catching prospects, Clement must bide his time one more year until the contract of Kenji Johjima expires. Clement hit 20 HRs and drove in 80 last year in the minors, so any injury to Johjima and you better run to your free agent pool and pick him up immediately. But for now, unless your league allows minor league players, Clement won’t be worth a roster spot until 2009.

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New Ace in Anaheim, or Los Angeles? Or Wherever the Angels Are–With the injuries to John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar, Jered Weaver is staking his claim to start on Opening Day for the Angels. After disappointing in 2007, Weaver is out to show that his rookie season was not his peak. In four starts this spring, Weaver is 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 14 IP. He has struck out eight, while only walking two and opponents are hitting just .106 off of him. Manager Mike Scioscia hasn’t decided between Weaver and Jon Garland as of yet, but based on their spring performances, it is just a matter of time before Jered gets the nod.

Reds Rookies Rolling—Both Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto are turning heads in Reds camp. Although Manager Dusty Baker hasn’t named the two young guns to the rotation, it is more and more evident by the day that both of them could be in Cincinnati when the spring is over. Before today, Cueto had only given up one run in 9 spring innings with 8 Ks. He pitched pretty well again on Monday, giving up just 2 ER in 4 IP with 3 BB and 4 Ks. Volquez has pitched four times giving up just five runs and striking out 19 batters in just 13 innings. Baker is notorious for not playing young guys, so the fact that he is talking these two young pitchers up is a testament to the impact that they could make. Keep your eye on this situation.

Daddy Dice—Daisuke Matsuzaka’s wife gave birth to a son on March 15^th, and leave it to the Fighting Chance to find a fantasy spin on even this story. While it looked like Dice would miss the trip to Japan waiting for his son to be born, Matsuzaka will now start the Red Sox season opener in Japan. Given his long history as an ace in Japan, expect Dice to open the season throwing a gem. Jon Lester will start the second game in Japan.

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How the top rookies and prospects of 2008 have performed so far in Spring Training as they fight to make their respective teams

Clay Buchholz (3 games) 8.2 IP, 11.50 ERA, 9 ER, 3 HR, 2 BB, 7 Ks

Still consider Buchholz the front-runner for that last spot in the Red Sox rotation. Bartolo Colon has looked good so far, but he hasn’t even been in a game situation yet. Although he will need a good performance in here somewhere this spring, with the added injury to Josh Beckett, it would be quite surprising to see Clay in Triple A to start the ’08 season.

Joba Chamberlain (2 games) 4.1 IP, 4.15 ERA, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 Ks

After an unimpressive first start to the spring, Chamberlain bounced back to be plenty more effective when he started a game Monday. Don’t read into this, he won’t be starting at the beginning of the season. He still is a relevant fantasy player, even as a setup man, and should be exceptional once he is put into the rotation

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Set to the tune of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer (I know, it’s horrible. Just go with it)

You know Reyes, and Hanley, and Crawford, and Figgins. Pierre and Roberts, and Byrnsie, and J-Roll. But can you recall, the guys who get you steals that you wouldn’t expect???

Russell Martin, C—LAD—OK, so we already know he can steal bases, but the fact that you get some speed from your catcher makes him a source of unexpected steals. It isn’t that Martin is the fastest guy on the basepaths or anything, he is just an incredibly smart baserunner, and is great at reading the pitcher. You can expect him to keep his steals around the 21 he stole in 2007, and he gives your team a chance to get steals from a position most, if not all, other teams will get zero.

Chase Utley, 2B—PHI—He hits for average, he has power, he slices, he dices, he plays a weak fantasy position….and he steals some bases! Is there anything Chase Utley can’t do???? Well, he won’t single handedly win the save category, it isn’t like he steals 50 bases. But when others are picking guys like Pujols and Fielder in the first round for their power numbers, your choice of Utley gets you a good deal of power, plus 15-20 steals that will help get you a few extra points out of your first choice.

Matt Holliday, OF—COL—As the NL MVP runner up turned his power numbers from ordinary to extraordinary, another stat that helps his owners is his double digit steals. Holliday has stolen at least ten bases for the past three seasons, and in rotisserie leagues, that makes him slightly more valuable than guys with similar numbers, and no steals. Holliday is the number one rated outfielder this season, so don’t wait too long on him.

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Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, Oliver Perez, John Maine, Orlando Hernandez, Mike Pelfrey

When you have Santana at the top, you automatically have a great pitching staff. He is the ace of the major leagues and is looking at a huge season, not only because he moves to the National League, but unlike the Twins, the Mets can actually score runs! Those two or three no decisions that come from his team’s inability to score will be wins in Flushing. Pedro, if healthy, has shown that he is still a very effective pitcher. Oliver Perez should take the next step towards dominant this year, if he could just cut down on those walks. Expect 16-18 wins for him. Maine had a stellar first half, and then fell back to earth after the All-Star Break. Orlando Hernandez might be 55 years old, but is still getting batters out, and if Mike Pelfrey ever figures it out, he’s got the stuff to be a extraordinary pitcher. The Mets’ are going to strike a lot of hitters out this year. The top four in their rotation are all guys who average nearly a strike out an inning. And as stated before, their offense is good enough, that even some days when the starters don’t bring their best stuff, they still might be able to win an 9-7 type of game.

Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsusaka, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Clay Buchholz, Curt Schilling, Bartolo Colon

Beckett easily could have won the AL Cy Young Award last year, as he was the only pitcher to win 20 games. Outside of his first year in Boston, Josh has had a good consistent career, and is the ace of this staff and one of the first five pitchers off the board in most fantasy drafts. Matsusaka struggled last year in his first season in America, but he still won 15 games and fanned 200 guys. It was a year of transition for Dice, a new team, a new country, a new language, and a new 5-man rotation (instead of six in Japan). Considering all he had to handle, I’d say he did quite well. Jon Lester has been one of the more inspirational stories to come along in recent memories. One of the top pitching prospects for the Sox, he beat cancer and came back to pitch in the majors in 2007. Be a little wary of his 11-2 career record, he’s on a very good team and his ERA is over 4.50. Walking batters has been his biggest problem thus far, and if he can get that under control, expect him to win 10-13 games. Tim Wakefield may pitch until he is in his late 40s (not to mention keep Doug Mirabelli employed), and he has never been exciting, but he will eat up innings and win double digit games. Clay Buchholz is one of the more exciting prospects to come down the pipe in a while. He has dynamite stuff, and even threw a no-hitter in his second career start. With the injury to Curt Schilling, Buchholz will get his chance to prove he belongs right now. Curt Schilling will be missing at least the first half of the season, maybe more. If he’s able to come back, he will give the Sox a huge second half push. Boston brought in former Cy Young winner Colon to try to resurrect his career. He is basically insurance against injuries at this point, but could prove valuable if one of their starters is unable to go.

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Choosing these players too soon could doom your fantasy team

C—Jorge Posada, NYY—This is taking nothing away from the fine career that Posada has had in New York. It really only takes two things into consideration, his age, and the great year he had in 2007. It is funny how guys seem to have such dynamite seasons when they are playing for a contract, and that’s exactly what Posada did last year. His batting average jumped almost 60 points, and kept his power numbers almost the same from 2006. However, Posada will turn 37 before the end of the year, and all those miles on those legs has got to catch up with him eventually. Now that he has gotten paid, expect a downswing in his numbers across the board.

1B—Carlos Pena, TB—Is anyone else not buying into this Cinderella story? It was a nice run for Pena last year, but there is no way that it is happening again. This guy was thrown on the scrap heap and forgotten, and now 46 HRs and 121 RBI later I’m supposed to believe he can do it again? As Jack Nicholson said, “go sell crazy somewhere else, we’re all stocked up here.” Expect a fall back to earth for Pena, more along the lines of 24 HRs, 80 RBI, which is nice, but don’t draft him and expect a repeat performance of ’07.

2B—Dan Uggla, FLA—Uggla will probably remain in the potential bust lists until he finally does have the bad season that everyone expects each year. Although his power numbers remained consistent, Uggla’s batting average fell almost 40 points while his strikeouts rose by over 40. Uggla will have to improve on his batting eye if he is going to continue to have a decent major league career. His minor league numbers suggest that he will be an inconsistent player, so don’t be surprised if you see his power numbers drop a year after his average fell off the table.

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