Baseball

Carlos Marmol brings an exceptional strikeout rate to the closers role.  There is no arguing that fact, but that shouldn’t cause us to overlook the warts that do come with selecting him. 

Can he be one of the elite closers in the game in 2011?  Absolutely, but there is also the chance that he completely falls flat.  Which will it be?  Let’s start by taking a look at his 2010 performance:

The Texas Rangers already have a strong starting rotation. However, after missing out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes and acquiring no other strong starter such as Lee, it raised the question of whether or not Neftali Feliz should be converted to a starter.

The clear answer to that is a simple "no."

Yes, I do understand that he posted great numbers as a starter in the minor leagues, which included a 3.49 ERA in 25 games (13 of which he started) at the Triple A level. 

With the recent misfortune of the St. Louis Cardinals losing ace right-hander and 20-game winner Adam Wainwright, most of the "experts" are predicting a more open National League Central race for 2011. 

Funny, but I don't remember the Cardinals taking the Central last year with Wainwright. 

The Cleveland Indians have bolstered their bullpen with the signing of right-hander Chad Durbin.

Durbin spent time during the 2003 and 2004 seasons with the Indians. He most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies, where he earned a World Series ring in 2008. 

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

State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, the defending Florida State community college champions, fell victim to the surging Pittsburgh Pirates in a lopsided 21-1, 7 inning exhibition game.

The Pirates took an early 3-0 lead before giving up a run in the top of the second. Manatee CC, feeling confident, was quickly brought back down to the Earth by the Pirates' seven-run explosion in the bottom of the second.

As we know, the injury of Adam Wainwright has put the St. Louis Cardinals in a really tough position. What was looking to be a promising 2011 season is now looking to be one of disappointment. Adam Wainwright has been the Cy Young runner-up in the National League the past two seasons. According to the Wins Above Replacement statistic, Wainwright was worth 5.7 and 6.1 wins in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

The New York Yankees have had some fine third basemen, but no Yankees third baseman is in the Hall of Fame. Of course, that will change when, five years after he retires, the great Alex Rodriguez will be voted in.

When he joined the Yankees, Alex generously and magnanimously agreed to switch from his shortstop position to third base, since shortstop was and still is the exclusive property of Derek Jeter. A-Rod has played 992 games at third base.

A lot of the shortstop talent is on the younger side, but how do players like Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter fit for those in keeper leagues?  Of course the rules of the league will determine things, but if it is a long-term keeper league, they certainly fall.

On the flip side, are there any younger players that should be on your radar?  Let’s take a look at how it all shakes out:

If you're a Yankees fan, then you know who Ivan Nova is.

If you're not a Yankees fan, then here's a little background information on the man who will likely assume the No. 5 spot in the rotation for the 2011 season.

Nova, 24, is listed at 6'4" and 210 pounds. The big right-hander was born on January 12, 1987 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.