Kuzul

Whether or not the San Francisco Giants are able to re-sign center fielder Angel Pagan, the team is lacking in outfield depth.  With a free-agent market full of big-name outfielders (Josh Hamilton, Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn), the Giants have several options.  

The Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Shane Victorino is the best fit for San Francisco.  

The Giants were successful in 2012 for a variety of reasons, two of which included their ability to manufacture runs and their unique team chemistry.  Victorino would not only contribute to, but would also ultimately strengthen, this style of play.  

These are only a few of the reasons the Giants should take a good look at the Flyin’ Hawaiian.

San Francisco hitters may not be the most patient at the plate, but they do make a lot of contact. Second baseman Marco Scutaro led all of MLB with a 92.5 percent contact rate, and fellow G-men in the lineup followed closely.  

Shane Victorino possesses an impressive contact rate of his own.  He put the bat on the ball 86.8 percent of the time in 2012.  He is not afraid to swing and put the ball in play, which is an attribute complemented by the rest of the Giants’ lineup.  

In addition, Victorino only struck out 12 percent of the time and maintained a nine percent walk rate. While he doesn’t leave the bat on his shoulders often, he is no free swinger.

If the Phillies successfully sign Angel Pagan to a four-year deal, an offer reported by Ken Rosenthal via Fox Sports, Victorino would make a fine replacement in the leadoff spot.  After all, the Flyin’ Hawaiian didn’t get his nickname for nothing. 

Last season, Victorino swiped 39 bases for Philadelphia and Los Angeles while only getting caught six times.  He makes things happen on the base paths.  The Giants need a guy who can not only get on base, but who can put himself into scoring position and give Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey more RBI opportunities.  This is a lineup that doesn’t hit a lot of long balls, but that can hit safely consistently.  More baserunners means more value to every line-drive single.  

Put Pagan back into the equation, and Victorino would be equally effective batting fifth or sixth in the order.  He muscled 29 doubles last season, equal to his career average.

Along with their strategy of manufacturing runs, the Giants thrive on their ability and willingness to play as a team.  Victorino has an excellent clubhouse reputation and has already played with right fielder Hunter Pence while the pair covered the outfield grass in Philadelphia together.  He is a team guy with the right intangibles to fit right in in San Francisco. 

Not to mention, Victorino’s defense has been exceptional enough to earn three Gold Gloves.  

As an added bonus, Victorino played for the Dodgers last season with the knowledge of his role as a “rent-a-player.”  His time with Los Angeles was basically his opportunity to showcase his talents to other teams as his free agency approached.  While he ultimately underperformed, batting only .245, imagine the poetic justice of Victorino punishing the Dodgers for providing him with a clearly temporary home?  

Looking at Victorino as a serious option for the Giants in 2013 is not to give up on Angel Pagan.  But Victorino could potentially pick up the slack.  Ideally, Victorino would be a welcome reinforcement in a Pence-Pagan San Francisco outfield.  Either way, the switch-hitting center fielder should be under strong consideration among the powers-that-be in the Giants’ front office.  

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San Francisco is still relishing the aura of earning championship glory for the second time in three seasons as the offseason hot stove is about to start up.

The Giants have adopted a wait-and-see approach in relation to potentially resigning outfielder Angel Pagan and infielder Marco Scutaro.

GM Brian Sabean has publicly stated that the World Champions have prioritized bringing back the two catalysts that solidified the top of the order in 2012, but both free agents are commanding significant value in the market, and it remains unknown how much the Giants are willing to spend on player payroll entering the 2013 season.

The market should heat-up when MLB Winter Meetings commence in Nashville, Tennessee on December 3rd, although the Giants have until midnight EST of November 30th to tender contracts to Pagan and Scutaro before the exclusive signing period ends.

It doesn’t seem likely that either free agent will ink a contract before that date, however.

Pagan is widely considered to be one of the best outfielders on the market and is coming off a stellar season. The 31-year-old hit .288 with eight home runs and drove in 56 runs during the regular season, while also crushing a league-best 15 triples.

Pagan struggled in the postseason offensively, but played Gold Glove-caliber defense to aid a lights-out pitching staff en route to a championship.

He’s expected to earn a multi-year contract worth more than $10 million annually, which could prove to be too costly for the Giants, who have previously outlined a payroll ceiling in the $130 million range.

Scutaro has immeasurable value to the Giants and should be easier to retain than Pagan. The NLCS MVP was outstanding, hitting .362 in 61 regular season games with the Giants.

The 37-year-old veteran never let up in the postseason, mounting a historic performance in the NLCS when he collected six multi-hit games and sustained a .500 average. His 21 hits in 64 at bats were good enough for a .328 postseason average.

It would be cataclysmic for the Giants not to resign Scutaro. He figures to command a two-year deal worth about $16 million, which fits the Giants’ budget.

The Giants’ front office has not publicly stated what their expected player payroll will be for the 2013 season, but it should incrementally increase from last season’s figure of $130 million, especially given the influx of new revenue generated from winning another world championship.

Left-handed set-up man Jeremy Affeldt earned himself a three-year, $18 million deal after tossing 10.2 shutout innings in the postseason. That contract, coupled with contracts already in place, means that the Giants have approximately $84 million allocated to eight players for 2013, including all five starting pitchers.

It’s assumed that funky outfielder Hunter Pence will be retained in his final year of arbitration for a figure of about $13.8 million, which would increase total payroll to about $98 million.

That means the Giants have nearly $100 million in place for nine players. Team payroll has increased every year since 2008, jumping $22 million in 2011 after the Giants won a championship the season prior.

It would seem reasonable for player payroll to stretch to about $150 million for the 2013 season, giving Sabean approximately $50 million to sign 16 players, including those who are arbitration eligible.

The Giants’ eight arbitration-eligible players (not including Pence) are estimated to yield a collective sum of $27.1 million, according to MLB Trade Rumors. Those players include Santiago Casilla ($5.4), Brian Wilson ($8.5), Sergio Romo ($3.6), Jose Mijares ($1.6), Buster Posey ($5.9), Gregor Blanco ($1.3), and Joaquin Arias ($0.8).

If all eight arbitration-eligible players are retained for 2013, then the Giants’ player payroll would reach an estimated total of $125 million with nine available roster spots remaining.

Brandon Belt (1B), Brandon Crawford (SS), Hector Sanchez (C), and George Kontos (RHP) are among non-arbitration eligible players that had significant influence on the Giants’ 2012 title run. Each will earn approximately $0.6 million apiece.

Retaining both Pagan and Scutaro would boost the total payroll to at least $140 million and leave less than $10 million in the bank to fish for at least three more players.

Signing Pagan to a multi-year deal totaling more than $10 million annually could potentially cripple the Giants’ roster depth on the bench and in the bullpen.

However, failing to retain Pagan could prosper a significant void in the lead-off spot.

Blanco would be the most obvious candidate to fill in if Pagan signs elsewhere, but the speedy outfielder hit just .241 in the lead-off spot in 2012, compared to .321 in the seventh slot in the lineup.

The most pivotal decision that Sabean faces this offseason is consequentially whether or not to potentially overpay Pagan and keep the entirety of the 2012 World Series lineup in tact.

The Giants provided outlandish contracts to players such as Aubrey Huff (2 years, $22 million) and Cody Ross (1 year, $6 million) after winning the 2010 World Series.

It’s doubtful that they’d repeat a familiar debacle, but that decision is dependent on how highly they value their coveted center-fielder.

The Giants ultimately enter baseball’s winter meetings with two goals in mind: Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro.

The determining factor in retaining both players is objectively dependent on how high the Giants’ payroll ceiling climbs.

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Free-agent center fielder Angel Pagan was expected to return to the San Francisco Giants. After all, they just won a World Series, and Pagan played a significant role on that team.

However, according to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Giants are not sure that they want to give him as long of a contract as he wants.

Of course, these two parties could easily resolve this problem, but if it does not work out, the Philadelphia Phillies need to make a move and sweep up Pagan for their void in center field.

The typical argument against Pagan joining the Philadelphia Phillies is his age. He is 31 years old, and the Phillies have one of the oldest teams in baseball. Many people would argue that they need to look at a younger option like B.J. Upton.

However, this argument is somewhat flawed.

Relying only on age to judge a player would be like an NBA team signing an eight-foot player who has never touched a basketball before. Yes, height is important in basketball just like age is important in baseball, but it is only one dimension. The skills need to be there beyond these unchangeable factors.

Pagan has the type of skill set that would benefit the Philadelphia Phillies.

Last season, he hit .288 with eight home runs, 56 RBI and 29 stolen bases. He also led the National League with 15 triples and rapped out 38 doubles. While he doesn’t seem to have a lot of home run power, he has quite a bit of extra-base-hit power.

The home run power also might develop in Citizens Bank Park, which is much more hitter-friendly than AT&T Park.

That is important because Chase Utley and Ryan Howard exist in the middle of the Philadelphia batting order to drive in runs. Both of these men have the potential to drive in over 100 runs, but they need people on base. Pagan has obviously proven that he can get on base, and that is the easiest way to score runs.

Also, it is significant to note that in his entire career (695 games), Pagan has only grounded into 25 double plays. By putting him in the second slot, Pagan gives the Phillies some safety at the top of the lineup: If leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins got on base, the bases would rarely be cleared because of Pagan.

Again, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley need people to drive in. Pagan would not eliminate these opportunities.

The Phillies do not need more power from a high strikeout hitter like Upton in the middle of their lineup. They need people to handle themselves at the top of the order and utilize the power that they already have.

I realize that a lot of this argument relies on the fact that Utley and Howard need to be healthy and return to their normal level of. And perhaps that is a bit of an assumption. However, just by looking at his statistics, we can see that Pagan gets on base without compromising the offensive attack. Whoever is in the middle of the lineup would benefit from that.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly that Pagan is definitely on his radar, and if the Giants are not able to bring him back, the Philadelphia Phillies need to make a major play for the center fielder.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

 
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While all of the talk in Philadelphia has been centered around how the Phillies can get BJ Upton into the outfield, the team might be better off looking at Angel Pagan at a more predictable, and consequently better, option for 2013.

It seems as if the San Francisco Giants want to bring Pagan back, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, so this might be a hard fight to win. He just won the World Series, and that is a difficult situation to leave.

However, Pagan himself has never come out on the record as far as I know as to his intentions for next season. Perhaps he wants to try somewhere different. If that is the case, the Philadelphia Phillies need to seriously consider adding Pagan to the lineup.

First, he will serve a purpose similar to what Shane Victorino did when he was in Philadelphia. He hit for a high average, got on base, was always a threat to steal second and had decent power. Of course, if you look at his stat line from last season, this is rather obvious.

He hit .288, led the National League with 15 triples, hit eight home runs, drove in 56 runs and stole 29 bases. He is the type of hitter that the Phillies could use at the top of their lineup to help set the table for the run producing bats of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

Beyond the obvious on-field benefits, it’s safe to assume that his contract will be less than BJ Upton. The Philadelphia Phillies have put far too much money into far too few contracts. Making another large investment in a high-risk player like Upton doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Normally, I am a huge advocate of taking on risks to reap huge potential rewards. Upton does provide that, but it is not the right time for the Phillies. If the risk for Upton doesn’t pay off, the Phillies will be saddled with yet another deal that costs a lot more than it is worth.

Except for the power, Pagan provides virtually every benefit that Upton does and he has been more consistent throughout his career. The Phillies need someone who they can count on to produce, and if he comes at a discount compared to Upton (which he absolutely should), the deal looks even better.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

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The Hot Stove is still in simmer mode, but offseason activity is beginning to pick up around the majors. About the only movement in San Francisco so far has been the Giants’ commitment to offering Hunter Pence arbitration.

But this should be a busy winter for the Giants, with nine free agents from this past season’s 40-man roster, an arbitration-eligible closer coming off Tommy John Surgery, and a need for another power bat in the lineup.

Here is a look at four players from the 2012 World Series champions who could be on the move this offseason.

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The San Francisco Giants walk into the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati today facing an 0-2 deficit in their best-of-five series with the Reds.

Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker, who spent 14 years with the Giants, acknowledges that a 2-0 lead isn’t everything, saying:

“[Leading] 2-0 doesn’t mean anything unless you’re up 3-0, which is what counts in this series.” 

Historially, the odds of winning the series are stacked against the Giants. Only four of 42 teams have ever overcome an 0-2 deficit to win a five-game series. That is a success rate of only 9.5 percent. Add to this the fact that the remainder of the series is on the road, and suddenly hope may become bleak.

While the chances of winning the series may be steep, the Giants can start by saving face with a win tonight behind the arm of Ryan Vogelsong.

Ryan comes into the game tonight with a 3.87 ERA this season. Even though his ERA has been a paltry 5.11 since the All-Star break, he still managed half of his 14 wins during that stretch. 

Vogelsong has been noted by MLB writer Chris Haft for running “deep counts out of his abhorrence for throwing pitches that a hitter might find remotely enticing.” This may prove to be a useful quality against a team that has racked up 14 total runs in two games.

Beyond pitching, the Giants will need run support.

Look for timely contributions from leadoff man Angel Pagan and near the bottom of the order from first baseman Brandon Belt. Both have had success against Reds pitcher Homer Bailey.

While only a small sample size, Pagan has a .429 batting average against Bailey, striking for three hits in seven at-bats. Belt has been successful to the tune of a .667 average, hitting twice in three tries.

If the Giants can get contributions from their big bats—Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval—in addition to timely hits from Pagan and Belt, they could give Vogelsong the help he needs to keep the series alive.

With Barry Zito on deck to pitch Game 4, if needed, expect the Giants to step up their production at the plate tonight.

If you follow @MLBJesus, you may be looking forward to a magical performance tonight.

The Sword of Vogelsong shall deliver thy Franciscans to Victory on Tuesday.

— MLB Jesus (@MLBJesus) October 8, 2012

——UPDATE——

San Francisco wins 2-1 in the 10th inning.

While Brandon Belt did nothing offensively to assist in the victory, Angel Pagan contributed the RBI that gave the Giants one run in the third inning. Without that, the game doesn’t go to extra innings and San Francisco goes home for the offseason.

Ryan Vogelsong had a solid outing, pitching 5 innings and allowing only one run for a 1.80 ERA.

Buster Posey was big in the 10th, getting on base with a hit and scoring the winning run on a ground ball error by Reds third baseman Scott Rolen.

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It’s true: Of all the important players on the San Francisco Giants—the superstars and celebrities—the X-factor this season will be a light-hitting 30-year-old center fielder who played with the New York Mets in 2011. Yes, the Angel Pagan.

This would seem to be a hyperbolic statement. After all, the Giants boast lights-out pitchers Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, a couple of dynamic sluggers in Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval and a beard that is attached to some dominant closer named Brian Wilson. The thing is, the team and its fans pretty much know what to expect out of those All-Star-caliber players.

Posey, despite suffering a devastating season-ending ankle injury last season, can roll out of bed and hit .300 with his eyes closed. His defense is still yet to be determined, but there’s little doubt that he can’t return to the Giants lineup and contribute at a high level again.

Lincecum is coming off a substandard 2011 campaign, however nobody questions whether he’ll be one of the top five pitchers in the National League. Ditto goes for Wilson, who labored through various injuries last year.

As for Cain and Sandoval, though expectations are high, everybody is full aware of their potential and not terribly worried about their production levels.

Which brings us to Pagan, who was acquired by San Francisco last offseason in the trade that sent Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez to the Mets. True, this wasn’t exactly the same splash that the two clubs made during the 2011 season, when the Giants traded for slugger Carlos Beltran, who ironically departed last offseason as a free agent. Instead, San Francisco looked to bolster its outfield with Pagan, who is seen as a more consistent player than Torres.

Though Torres was instrumental in the Giants’ magical World Series championship run two seasons ago, his stock fell sharply last year when he batted just .212 in 112 games with a whopping 95 strikeouts in 398 at-bats. Absolutely not the type of numbers one would hope for a leadoff hitter. This made it clear to the team that his 2010 campaign was the aberration, and that he would no longer fit in to San Francisco’s future plans.

This is a bit weird, because Pagan also experienced a dropoff in 2011. A career .279 hitter, Pagan strikes out less frequently and gets on base a tad more often than Torres. But both of them have above-average speed, are switch-hitters and can knock in a few runs from the leadoff spot in the batting order.

Yes, they have quite similar numbers over their careers, but that is what makes Pagan such an integral part of the equation for the Giants. Why would San Francisco trade a player for someone who is of the exact same mold? Obviously the Giants see something in Pagan that can ignite the worst offense in the National League last season.

Pagan has a little bit more seasoning in his major-league career than Torres, and he’ll need it in order to embark as the Giants’ full-time leadoff hitter. The book on Pagan, however, is that he’s pretty solid in the middle of the order, too, which bodes well for the Giants if they decide to shake up the lineup some time throughout the season.

As for now, Pagan will be relied upon to jump-start the listless offense by getting on base and wreaking enough havoc on the basepaths. Hopefully, with Sandoval and a healthy Posey back in the heart of the order, Pagan will be able to score more than 90 runs for the season—which is good considering he’ll be playing in a heavily favored pitcher’s stadium for 81 games this season.

Which brings us to his defense. The main question surrounding Pagan’s impact with the team will be whether he is able to patrol the vast expanse that is the outfield of AT&T Park. If there was one thing that Torres did well throughout his tenure in San Francisco, it was play a mean center field.

He quickly learned how to navigate the obtuse geometric layout that includes the notorious Triples Alley in right center field. Will Pagan be able to corral the hard-hit gappers and prevent extra-base hits? After all, Pagan ranked second in the National League with 10 errors. He’s effectively not a Gold Glove-type defender, which is something that San Francisco needs to improve in its 10th-ranked defense from a season ago.

Should Pagan be able to play an adequate center field and hit at a level that is consistent with the expectations and factors that come with playing in windy, cold San Francisco, the Giants will improve. Offensively, there’s nowhere else to go but up. So, Pagan just needs to play his own game and not deviate from what he is capable of; not try to do too much.

Needless to say, despite being a new addition to a team that has some of the most recognizable players in the National League, Pagan is in fact the most critical player on the Giants this upcoming season. Yes, above Posey, Lincecum, the Panda, et al, the diminutive offseason acquisition is the driving force that will push the Giants back into the postseason.

If the baseball gods allow for it, Pagan will be the team’s most valuable player this spring training. Yes, the Angel Pagan.

Follow me on Twitter: @nathanieljue

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During one of the rare free moments I had at work yesterday, I turned on the Mike Francesa Show on WFAN. I don’t mind Francesa as much as most people. I would say my issue with Francesa would be his failure to adapt to the modern tools that are around to help not only himself, but his audience better understand the game of baseball.

During his opening segment, Francesa talked about the New York Mets and their rather poor lineup. He singled out Angel Pagan and talked about his poor approach at the plate.

I watched about seven of the nine Met games this season and I didn’t remember ever thinking to myself what is Pagan doing up there? To me, someone who has a poor approach at the plate is someone who goes up there and doesn’t take pitches, doesn’t work the count and swings at anything.

I didn’t feel this was the case with Pagan. Then I looked at the numbers and the numbers suggest Pagan’s approach at the plate, if anything, has vastly improved from last season.

Last season, Pagan had a BB Percentage of 7 percent and a K Percentage of 16.8 percent. Going into Monday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies, Pagan has doubled his BB Percentage to 14.3 percent and cut his K Percentage in half to 8.6 percent.

If that is not improving your approach at the plate, I am not sure what is.

Yes, Pagan is hitting .171, but a lot of that can be attributed to bad luck. Pagan’s BABIP is a pedestrian .161. For guy who has a .321 BABIP for his career, that is almost guaranteed to improve.

Pagan has just been unlucky at the start of the 2011 season. Every player in baseball will go through a 35 plate appearance stretch like he is going through right now.

So sorry Mike, his approach is fine.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Is speed something you look for late in your draft? 

Here are five guys who are generally available after Round 18 (meaning they have an ADP of 216 or above, according to Mock Draft Central), and I currently have them projected to steal at least 25 bases each. 

If you have the need for speed, these are certainly names worth targeting:

Jose Tabata – Pittsburgh Pirates

I discussed him briefly as part of a wild prediction (click here to view) and there certainly is reason for fantasy owners to take notice.  With an ADP of 271.02, he has the potential to be a bargain.

In his first taste in the Major Leagues (405 AB), Tabata hit .299 with 61 R and 19 SB. That doesn’t mention the 25 SB he had at Triple-A in 224 AB prior to his recall, so no one should be doubting his speed. 

Throw in the fact that there has been talk that the Pirates are going to be more aggressive on the base paths, and there is even more to like.

I know people are going to point to his lack of SB prior to 2010, but remember he just turned 21 years old in ’10.  He was young and inexperienced and still learning the nuances of the game.

I also believe that there’s a good chance Tabata ultimately settles into the leadoff spot (if he doesn’t open the year there), with Andrew McCutchen moving down to the third spot.  That would provide Tabata even more opportunities to run.

Is he going to be one of these guys who steals 60-70 bases?  Of course not, but how many guys are?  He could easily steal over 25 bases, with the potential for significantly more.

Rajai Davis – Toronto Blue Jays

Before the addition of Scott Podsednik, we may have felt a little bit more comfortable with Davis’ use as a late-round steal option (current ADP of 289.92). 

There is now a chance that he loses a few at bats, so keep that in mind in comparison to the other options listed.

Over the past two seasons, Davis has stolen 91 bases for the Oakland Athletics, though the team seemed to prefer Coco Crisp (who we will talk about shortly) as the leadoff option when he was healthy. 

Why?  Well, Davis is not the best OBP option, something that teams obviously look for at the top of the order.

I know he had a .360 mark in 2009, but he was at just .320 last season.  He has a career walk rate of just 5.9% and was at 4.6% in ’10.  He needs to improve those marks so he can make the most of his speed (though he showed that he can still steal bases even if he doesn’t have an elite OBP). 

As long as he maintains regular playing time, he is going to be a solid late-round option, but there is a bit of risk.

Angel Pagan – New York Mets

You would think that people would believe in Pagan after he broke out in 2010, wouldn’t you?  Alas, owners seem to be a bit skeptical after he hit .290 with 11 HR, 69 RBI, 80 R and 37 SB. 

Maybe it is his injury-prone history?  Or is it the return of Carlos Beltran that has owners concerned?  Regardless, it would appear like Pagan is a bargain at his current ADP of 297.10.

Do not get me wrong, as I think there is little chance that he improves on his ’10 success and very well could see a bit of a regression.  However, that is a story for another day. 

What we are looking for here are players who can provide plenty of speed late in your draft, and Pagan fits the bill.

Over the past two seasons, he has 51 stolen bases in 67 attempts.  There is no reason to think that the Mets are going to put the brakes on, even with a change in leadership. 

Pagan should get the green light hitting second in the Mets order, meaning 30+ should be realistic for a second consecutive season. 

Desmond Jennings – Tampa Bay Rays

Sooner or later, he is going to be looked at as the replacement to Carl Crawford, it is just a matter of when. 

The signings of Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez may have delayed his arrival slightly, but that doesn’t change his potential outlook, it only drives down the asking price (306.59 current ADP).

Over his minor-league career, he has stolen 171 bases in 204 attempts.  Last season he had 37 SB in 399 AB at Triple-A. 

In ’09 he had 52 SB in 497 AB between Double-A and Triple-A.  The guy can run and, if he’s given an opportunity, he is going to show it.

Obviously he may not have much value early on, especially for those in shallower formats, because he could easily open the year at Triple-A. 

However, for those in deeper formats, stashing him for usage later on is certainly appealing.

Coco Crisp – Oakland Athletics

Can he stay healthy?  That really is the question.  He had just 290 AB in ’10, yet he managed to steal 32 bases in 35 attempts.

Of course you can call that a bit of an aberration, considering he had never stolen more than 28 bases in a season since his Major League debut back in 2002.  Or maybe it was just the A’s finally gave him the green light and let him run wild? 

With an ADP of 334.76, it certainly is worth rolling the dice to find out if you find yourself lacking in speed late in the draft.

What are your thoughts of these options?  Which would you target late in your draft if you were in need of speed?  Is there another option you would consider?

**** Make sure to order your copy of the Rotoprofessor 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide, selling for just $5, by clicking here. ****

Make sure to check out our previous late round articles:

• Catchers
• First Basemen
• Second Basemen
• Third Basemen

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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It may be just a spring training exhibition match, but the opening game of the season could set the tone for the entire year. 

That’s why Bleacher Report assembled its crack team of analysts, correspondents, featured columnists, and tea leaf readers to predict precisely what will happen before, during and after the game between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

Here are the highlights of their analysis:

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