Atomic RoadRunners

Every season there’s usually one or more teams from which that I fail to acquire a representative player.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – though I’d never recommend against not owning a player from a team just because the team collectively stinks.  Such odoriferous rosters usually yield several values with lovely bouquet.  The Nats this year looked like a source of plenty of bargains with sweet-smelling upside.

In addition to several starting players that reliably produce (Austin Kearns, Chad Cordero, the new catching duo of Paul LoDuca and Johnny Estrada), the Nationals were jam-packed with hidden value.  Here were my top "sleepers" for the Nationals this season:

Nick Johnson, 1B – I am expecting a .280 season, 25 HR, with possibly 75 RBI, bouncing back to where he was the first 22 weeks of 2006.  Tom Ross of Get Off Kong! managed to secure him for only $6.  SIX!  I wanted to bid higher, but at that point, I didn’t have much cash available, and it would have been my DH.  But this was a crime.  A crime!  Figure that he and Adam LaRoche produce equally – and he went for $16 ($25 last year).

Jason Bergmann, SP – He was high on my watchlist, but was snapped up in the 4th round of the minor league draft – 4 spots before I would have selected him.  I instead went with Jon Lieber, who doesn’t have the upside.

Wily Mo Pena, OF – Star cross’d career? Check. Injury in Spring Training to open the season on DL? Check.  Been a "failed prospect" several times over?  Check.  Still only 26 with tremendous bat speed and huge power? Check.  Moving into a smaller ballpark?  Check.  A perfect late-round sleeper, especially in our keeper league.  I actually nominated him with a chance of getting him, but the one other team that could bid on a hitter outbid me. He went for $8.

Matt Chico, SP – Penciled in as the No. 4 starter yet again this season, the former Diamondback prospect was much better in Spring Training this season, with different footwork and fewer walks allowed.  He’ll be better this season (though that may not be very helpful in Rotiss).  He was selected with the final pick of the 4th round of the minor league draft.

Ross Detwiler, John Lannan, and Collin Balester, SPs – The Nationals pitching ranks are looking up.  I was targeting Detwiler, specifically, to help out once Patterson broke down again in May.  Jim Bowden solved that issue by releasing him and bringing Odalis Perez on board.  Detwiler and Lannan each went to Stanimals for $1, and Balester went with the seventh-overall minor league pick.

On the Scout Team:

Garrett Guzman, OF – Rule 5 pick that was able to be sent down to AAA, he may not be more than a No. 4 OF, but I’ll keep an eye on him.

Justin Maxwell, OF – Could also end up contributing, especially if further injuries strike or a trade is made.

Tyler Clippard, SP – Sent down to AAA when it was expected he would be the No. 5 starter, he could come back and contribute.

Joel Hanrahan, RP – Lights-out in Spring Training, with 14 shutout innings and stellar K/BB ratio.  While technically a long reliever, he may get a shot in a bullpen with a starting closer that is maxing-out at 87 mph (Cordero), and the top-two most heavily used relievers in MLB last season (Jon Rauch and Saul Rivera).

And then of course:

Felipe Lopez, MI – The anti-sleeper.  At one point this offseason, some blogger joked that Manny Acta must have caught Lopez sleeping with Acta’s wife, as Lopez is in the doghouse’s basement, locked in a box like the Gimp from Pulp Fiction.  With no hope of an opening (or a trade, in all likelihood), of course he gets selected for $7, which isn’t so bad I guess.

From Rotoworld:

Prince Fielder was scratched from Saturday’s lineup with flu-like symptoms. We’d recommend chicken noodle soup, but that’s no longer an option. [Now that he's a vegetarian]. Fielder is expected to be ready to go on Monday.

From Rotoworld:

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said offers have been made to Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun that would take them through their first year of free agency.  The team had made it clear it was going to happen. Fielder’s deal would be five years and an option for 2013, while Braun’s was six years with an option for 2014. One would think it’d take over $50 million to lock up Fielder for that long. He’ll want something similar to the $10 million Ryan Howard is getting this year in his first year of arbitration in 2009. Figure something like $36 million for the three years of arbitration and then $16 million-$20 million for the season of free agency.

From CBS Sports:

Reds C Javier Valentin hit a three-run homer Saturday against the Rays — his second of the spring. He batted .294 for the exhibition season. Valentin will split at-bats with David Ross this season. He has some decent power, but he’s not worth drafting as more than a No. 2 catcher in NL-only leagues because of his backup status.

From CBS Sports:

Rookie 1B Joey Votto’s poor spring for Cincinnati probably cost him an opening-day start. Votto hit .206 in 63 at-bats while Scott Hatteberg batted .386 in 57 at-bats. “I was trying to give him the opportunity to win the job because he has big-time talent and skills,” Baker said. “Still, you’re in a prove-it job.” Hatteberg, a steady but unspectacular veteran, batted .310 with 10 homers and 47 RBI last season. He didn’t play much in the closing weeks of the season while the Reds tried rookie Joey Votto at first base. Hatteberg has value in NL-only leagues, but his lack of pop at a position full of it makes him a low-end, last-resort option on Draft Day. Besides, Votto likely has enough potential to unseat him at some point this season.

From Rotoworld:

Reds manager Dusty Baker wouldn’t say Saturday whether Joey Votto or Scott Hatteberg would start at first base. “We’re trying to give him [Votto] an opportunity to win the job … but we still don’t know. [We're] still in an earn-it, prove-it job,” Baker said. Except nothing either player could have done in March would have proven anything.

From CBS Sports:

The Braves assigned SP Chuck James to the 15-day DL on Saturday, retroactive to March 21. The team wants to work the left-hander back slowly from a partial rotator cuff tear. James will pitch at Class-A Rome on Tuesday as part of his rehab. He pitched only two innings of Grapefruit League action this spring, so he might have a ways to go. A quick start by rookie Jair Jurrjens might only delay his call-up further. Right now, James is a low-end NL-only option.

From CBS Sports:

The N.Y. Post reports that the Mets got a brief scare Friday when Jose B. Reyes was hit by a pitch by O’s pitcher Daniel Cabrera. The shortstop went down in a heap and writhed around in pain, before finally getting up and walking to first base. Reyes stayed in the game and finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. He ended the Grapefruit League schedule batting .328 this spring. Reyes also battled a minor knee injury earlier this spring, but he appears over it now. He remains an elite Fantasy shortstop with the ability to hit 15 homers and steal 75 bases.

From CBS Sports:

Tim Lincecum struck out nine in five no-hit innings and the San Francisco Giants beat the Oakland Athletics 2-0 on Friday night. Lincecum, scheduled to pitch the Giants’ third game of the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, was masterful in a steady drizzle, keeping Oakland off balance. Lincecum’s performance was a needed lift for the Giants, who snapped a five-game losing streak that included a loss to Fresno, their Triple-A affiliate, on Wednesday. In his last three spring outings, Lincecum has struck out 20 batters. He has recovered from a strained groin that affected him earlier this spring. Lincecum is a future No. 1 Fantasy starting pitcher and might even perform among the top 10 in his first full season in 2008. The Giants might not offer him much run support, though, so try to draft him as no more than a No. 3 Fantasy SP.

From CBS Sports:

Mets SP John Maine put the finishing touches on a successful spring with four scoreless innings Saturday against the White Sox. He allowed three hits and walked none while striking out five.  Maine posted a sizzling 1.53 ERA through spring training and went six scoreless in his last start, allowing only one hit. He looks primed for a breakout in his third year and, with the Mets lineup behind him, might even be an early dark horse for the NL Cy Young. Think of him as a No. 3 Fantasy SP right now.

From CBS Sports:

According to MLB.com, the Pirates moved SP Zach Duke from the No. 5 spot to the No. 3 spot in their rotation, flip-flopping him with fellow lefty Paul Maholm, who missed his spring start Friday with lower back stiffness. Duke will now start April 3 at Atlanta. He’s had a good spring, posting an ERA of 3.32 so far. He posted a 1.81 ERA as a rookie, but has struggled since in his major-league career. Until we see that same pitcher, he is more of a low-end NL-only Fantasy option.