Kuzul

When you spend a draft pick or auction money on a player, you are paying for their stats, not their name. So let’s look at a few stat lines that can be had at discount.

I did three 12-team mock drafts on three different websites back-to-back and averaged out the draft position for the projected rounds you see on each player. The stat lines are a projection I expect both players to be close to.  

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Earlier this week it was reported that Cliff Lee, one of four Phillies aces, suffered a mild side strain. Lee stated that he was behind “5-10 pitches.”

In other words, he didn’t miss much time.

Sure, this may sound like news that doesn’t really matter, but this shouldn’t be brushed away. This is a very serious matter that the Phillies need to look into.

Lee should be monitored and checked frequently at practices. It may be a side strain now, but the next thing you know, he pulls his ACL or needs Tommy John Surgery. Lee was shut down for only a week, but this could turn into being shut down for multiple months.

The fact of the matter is that Lee is 32, and will be 33 at the end of the season. By these days’ standards, he might as well be 52.

It’s not just Lee, either.

Now that Shane Victorino is 30, that means the whole starting lineup is in their 30s. The majority of the starting lineup is in their lower 30s. That is a starting lineup that is just too old to be competing.

Last season was an example.

The 2010 campaign for the Phillies was plagued with injuries. Most of the injuries were not age-related, but they are still in trouble.

This injury could be an omen to the 2011 season for the Phillies. The management and coaching need to act soon. There should be a mandatory medical evaluation that will take place after ever practice, warm-ups and games. Lee and the Phillies are in some deep trouble.

It was being mentioned since the end of last season. The Phillies are old. Plain and simple. The average age will be about 32 for the Phillies regulars. Everyone knows that once a baseball player hits around 32-35, he’s done. Players are only good in their twenties these days, and many people have mentioned this lately.

The aged Phillies could possibly even miss the playoffs, since they are just way too old.

I believe many people will agree with me.

The Phillies won the World Series an entire three years ago. Most of the Phils were still in their twenties and youthful.

In 2011, they are aged and depleted, and aren’t in any spot to compete. Lee’s injury may have been small, but it’s a warning. Philadelphia needs to play it safe and smart if it wants to be contenders, and that’s just this year. The Phillies are taking a risk by going into the season at such a high age. This could be the last season that they make the playoffs.

Realistically, the NL East will be overtaken by a youthful, more skilled team, such as the Braves or the Mets. If they don’t get some youth, the Phillies dynasty could end.

So go ahead and take this injury as nothing, but the truth is the Phillies are old, and this is a preview of the season. It’s a small sample of what the lineup of dinosaurs that is the Phillies is in for.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This is something that I’ve been experimenting with for a few years now with the NFL, MLB and NBA. Not only will I be ranking all of the starting players, you’ll see a number between 7-10 beside the player.

These numbers break the players up into essential categories; here’s a rough layout. 

10- Best player/pitcher in baseball

9+- Superstar, MVP/Cy Young Candidates

8+- Consistent All-Star

7.5- Periodical All-Star

7.25- Solid Starter

7- Average Player

The numbers do more than rank the players, you can also figure out which positions have the most/least depth. I just think it’s a fun way of looking at it.

I also want to reiterate that these are projected starters. For example, I believe Ben Francisco starts the season off as the right fielder, but eventually I believe Dominic Brown takes over. 

Another example you’ll see is Alex Avila, my projected starting catcher in Detroit. I believe Victor Martinez will DH.

ALSO CHECK OUT

10 Reasons to Take Halladay over Lee in a Game 7

Top 25 Underrated Starting Pitchers

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The purpose of Value Picks is to point out some names that have not been getting the attention they deserve on draft day. The focus of this article will be finding value at a thin position, second base.

1. Dan Uggla—Currently ranked No. 34 by Yahoo Fantasy Baseball

Last Season’s Statistics:

Very impressive stat line for Uggla last year which left him at No. 18 in Yahoo’s 2010 rankings. In addition to his finish last year, he has now moved into the Braves lineup where he should thrive. Plan on a finish closer to last year’s 18 than the 34 Yahoo has tagged him with this season.

2. Kelly Johnson—Currently ranked No. 98 by Yahoo Fantasy Baseball

Last Season’s Statistics:

I think Johnson is getting a raw deal even from Yahoo. When it comes down to it, fantasy is all about offense. And the stats Johnson put up last year were very solid, especially for second base. The fact that he has his defensive liabilities, while soon to frustrate Diamondback fans on a regular basis, have not impact from a fantasy perspective as long as he keeps his job.

3. Brian Roberts—Currently ranked No. 104 by Yahoo Fantasy Baseball

Last Season’s Statistics:

Admittedly, those stats are probably deserving of a much lower ranking. However, Roberts was injured much of last season and only played in 59 games. Coming into this season healthy and with an upgraded lineup around him, it’s not unreasonable to expect a stat line more along the lines of his 2009 season:

Those numbers were strong enough to find him ranked as the 47th best player in Yahoo. Not bad for a player you will likely be able to grab as late as the 10th round of your draft.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Dominic Brown’s future in the Major Leagues is bright.  He’s 6’5, has speed, quickness, baseball instincts, and is looked at as a “five-tool” player. 

However, the Phillies need to recognize where Brown is at in his career before they throw him into a starting role, or should I say the lion’s den.

Here’s some reasons why Brown will start the season in the minors.

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Over the course of the past few seasons and offseasons, you’ve probably heard it said quite a few times. “It’s a great time to be a Phillies fan.” While that indeed is the case, it got me to thinking—where do some of today’s Phillies’ stars rank among the greatest Phillies of all time? How many Phillies could be called the greatest at their position in the history of this lengthy franchise? Are there any who could be called the greatest?

With so many options to consider, a few factors weighed heavily on these rankings. The overall success of a player’s career was taken into consideration, but his career with the Phillies played an enormous part in these rankings. For example. if a player played three tremendous seasons in Philadelphia, but excelled with another team for the majority of his career, he will be taken into consideration, but have a tough time overcoming a player who had a long, productive career in Philadelphia.

So, who are the greatest Phillies, position by position, of all time? Without further adieu, here are the greatest players to ever put on a Phillies’ uniform at their respective positions.

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Heading into the 2011 season, the Philadelphia Phillies are widely believed to be the favorite in the National League East, and maybe even the National League. 

However, to say that a team is without holes is unreasonable; in the case of the 2011 Phillies, there are indeed many questions that remain as they head to Clearwater to begin training.  On Friday, the Phillies packed up their trucks and sent the team’s gear down I-95 to Florida.

Here are the top 17 questions that remain going into Spring Training.

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The Philadelphia Phillies shocked the entire baseball world when they signed Cliff Lee last month to a $120 million contract. Ever since the fans in Philadelphia have been anxiously awaiting the start of the season. With the addition of Cliff Lee to their already-stellar rotation consisting of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels, the Phillies will be unstoppable and their opposition has the daunting task of facing two of the four aces every series.

Although the Phillies have seen the departure of fan favorite Jayson Werth, who signed a huge $126 million contract with division rival Washington, they have Domonic Brown and Ben Francisco to fill the void successfully. While the Phillies’ outfield has less depth with the departure of Werth, fans will be eager to see what Brown and Francisco can do.

The Phillies fans are ready to watch their team start the 2011 season and potentially make it to the World Series once again. After losing to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS this past October, the Phillies have much to prove to themselves: one with their rotation, and two by avenging their NLCS loss.

Expectations could not be higher for the Phillies and I believe they will live up to them.

These are the reasons why 2011 will be a magical year to remember.

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Second base is a position that has numerous youngsters who could make their presence felt as soon as 2011.  Jason Kipnis, Dustin Ackley and Brett Lawrie could all eventually join the elite at the position, but first they need to make their MLB debuts.  How should they be ranked by fantasy owners in keeper leagues?  Let’s take a look:

1. Robinson Cano – New York Yankees
2. Dustin Pedroia – Boston Red Sox
3. Chase Utley – Philadelphia Phillies
4. Ian Kinsler – Texas Rangers
5. Dan Uggla – Atlanta Braves
6. Brandon Phillips – Cincinnati Reds
7. Ben Zobrist – Tampa Bay Rays
8. Rickie Weeks – Milwaukee Brewers
9. Gordon Beckham – Chicago White Sox
10. Aaron Hill – Toronto Blue Jays
11. Kelly Johnson – Arizona Diamondbacks
12. Danny Espinosa – Washington Nationals
13. Jason Kipnis – Cleveland Indians
14. Dustin Ackley – Seattle Mariners
15. Brett Lawrie – Toronto Blue Jays

Thoughts:

• Dustin Pedroia over Chase Utley?  I know it may seem a bit odd, but Pedroia is five years younger than Utley, who many people believe could be on the decline.  It’s hard to read too much into his 2010 struggles (.275, 16 HR, 65 RBI in 425 AB) as they easily could have been due to hip problems.  Of course, Pedroia and Ian Kinsler also have had injury concerns, but at his age you have to wonder how long Utley will be able to hold up.  His tremendous upside keeps him in the top three, but there is cause for concern.
• Martin Prado belongs on this list, but with Dan Uggla in town now it appears unlikely that he maintains 2B eligibility after 2011.  If you draft him keep in mind that he could regain the eligibility down the line at some point, but it’s hard to depend on it.
• Looking for Brian Roberts?  Considering his recent decline and age (33 years old), he falls just short for me.
• Unlike many other positions, there is a potential influx of talent coming to 2B.  We got a taste of what Danny Espinosa can bring to the table in 2010, and he is just the tip of the iceberg.  Jason Kipnis, Dustin Ackley and Brett Lawrie are a few of the names who could make their presence felt as soon as 2011 (though you don’t want to be drafting them as your starting option).  I may be in the minority, but I love the potential that Kipnis brings to the table.  Between Double- and Triple-A in 2010 he had 32 doubles, eight triples and 16 HR to go along with a .307 average and nine SB.  He has the potential to overtake Jason Donald quickly and brings tremendous upside.
• At this point Howie Kendrick has become a tremendous disappointment for fantasy owners.  Since he really doesn’t bring power or speed to the table, I ultimately decided to drop him out of the top 15.  At this point, I’d rather the upside of one of the up-and-coming options over a disappointing player we already know.
• Will Gordon Beckham finally realize his potential?  You have to love the power he could bring to the table from a position that you can’t always find it.

**** 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 2011 rankings:

• Top 15 Catchers
• Top 15 First Basemen
• Top 15 Second Basemen
• Top 15 Shortstops
• Top 15 Third Basemen
• Top 30 Outfielders
• Top 30 Starting Pitchers
• Top 15 Closers
• 2011 Fantasy Draft First-Round Breakdown

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Jimmy Rollins hasn’t been the same player since his 2007 NL MVP year.  He’s struggled to stay on the field.  Before 2008, Rollins played in 154 plus games in each of his first seven seasons.  He’s missed the 154 game plateau in two of the last three years.  He played in 137 games in 2008, 155 in 2009, and 88 last season.   

The great thing for the Phillies is that this is Rollins’ contract year; money is motivation.  Rollins is 32, so this could be his final opportunity to get a multi-year offer. 

If he can stay on the field for 154-plus games, he will get paid.

Let’s take a look at ten contracts that Jimmy Rollins may be targeting….. 

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