We are gathered here today to mourn the loss...of the depth
of the fantasy baseball position of Second Baseman.
Second Base has been on the decline for some time now. Those
of us who didn't take a top tier player last season felt the pain, but we never
wanted to show it. The position had its share of talent, but as we know, the
majority of great fielders occupy Shortstop and Third Base, and the best
hitters often occupy First Base. Nonetheless, Second Base had its share of good
players. Robinson Cano and Dustin Pedroia come to mind, and they'll continue to
do their thing, injury-resistance willing.
Second Base has never been a position to call attention to
itself, but the players sometimes caused people to overdraft. This year, we're
sure to see Jason Kipnis and Jose Altuve stir things up when they're drafted
earlier than they should. Talented, yes, but they could go in the 6th,
5th, and sometimes even the 4th round. There's certainly
been plenty to be joyous about in finding new talent like this during the
season, or finding an Aaron Hill or Kelly Johnson in the second half of last
season to bail you out of the doldrums.
By the same token though, Second Base has had its share of
heartbreak and disappointment. Rickie Weeks certainly comes to mind, and let's
not forget the ugly play of Mr. Dan Uggla. I mean, really, how brutal were
those last year?
Desperation doesn't come easily to some of us, but those of
us who really don't want to risk a 2013 version of Hill or Johnson simply “bailing
us out” will need to snap to it and get our 2B quickly, and leave the
speculation to the people who didn't gameplan.
If you can't get Cano, get ready to grab Pedroia or Kinsler with one of your next couple picks. Phillips, Kipnis, Altuve, and Zobrist should all be there in the next round or two, but with what I think you can get at other positions, you may be best served getting your Top 5 2B quickly (whoever happens to be in your Top 5). I don't want to risk leaving the draft without a Top 7 (at worst) and maybe a flier on someone else later.
If you can't get Cano, get ready to grab Pedroia or Kinsler with one of your next couple picks. Phillips, Kipnis, Altuve, and Zobrist should all be there in the next round or two, but with what I think you can get at other positions, you may be best served getting your Top 5 2B quickly (whoever happens to be in your Top 5). I don't want to risk leaving the draft without a Top 7 (at worst) and maybe a flier on someone else later.
Is there hope for depth at Second Base? Maybe. You should
check your league settings first, but even so, you have hope. With the move to
Toronto, it's looking like Emilio Bonafacio is going to qualify at 2B before
too long. Maybe you wanna snag him in the middle rounds and just plug-and-play
for the first couple weeks. Maybe Josh Rutledge plays well enough to hold down
2B while Tulo makes his big return. He's worth a later pick, but be ready for
the Batting Average to fluctuate. Perhaps Jurickson Profar gets regular playing
time through a Kinsler injury or an Andrus trade.
Maybe you'll be stronger someday Second Base. For right now,
we merely weep for you.
Written by David Bobke
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