Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said this weekend that he will likely have new acquisition Chone Figgins play second base, and move incumbent second baseman Jose Lopez to Figgins' primary spot over the past three seasons, third base.
Figgins will bat second behind Ichiro in the Seattle order, while Lopez will bat fifth and sixth with about equal frequency. None of that changes with the position flip-flop, and so obviously, the fantasy impact of the switch from a strict production perspective is minimal.
In terms of the new eligibility each will gain, however, the fantasy value added is potentially huge.
For Figgins, gaining eligibility at second base makes him a much easier fit for would-be fantasy owners. At third, Figgins' appalling lack of power would have limited his owners' options at other spots. Those fantasy players would have had to draft power at other traditional speed positions, such as shortstop or second base, to fill the void.
Moving to the middle infield, Figgins' skill set takes on considerably more value, precisely because his owners can more comfortably slot him in at that position without fearing for a loss of team power.
Lopez's story is the same, but in reverse. At a position that generally produces average and speed, Lopez is a modest .270-.280 hitter who can be counted on for 20 or more home runs and 80 or more RBI. At third, of course, that is a much more usual statistical profile.
Of course, each player also maintains eligibility at his prior position, and that flexibility can only help each. It leaves the door open for owners who do find themselves well-positioned to use Figgins at third or Lopez at second.
Of course, if one could find a way to do so without losing out on the stat usually filled by the given player's position, it would be a tremendous advantage.
In terms of what precisely one ought to expect from each, look for Figgins to lose some of his value, due to the change of scenery.
Playing for steal-happy Mike Scioscia's Los Angeles Angels last season, Figgins swiped 42 bases from the lead-off spot. In a more conservative environment for the running game, and sandwiched between Ichiro and first baseman Casey Kotchman, he may not even reach 35 in 2010.
Lopez, meanwhile, is just 26 years old. After a breakout 2009 in which he hit 25 homers, he cold take aim at 25 or even 30 again this year.
With on-base monsters like Kotchman and new left fielder Milton Bradley immediately ahead of him in the order, 100 RBI are well within reach for Lopez, who very quietly drove in 96 last year.
Both men might have had significant value before this positional switch, but now that it has been made (albeit unofficially), Figgins and Lopez are very good value buys in the middle rounds of mixed-league drafts, and have sky-high potential upside.
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