CBS Commissioner: Looking For Value? Take an Arizona Diamondback

During the draft, I will be looking for value picks to compensate for positions I missed earlier in the draft, and after doing some research I have come up with some data that I have found particularly interesting. 

The rest of this article will be dedicated to the value of most of the Arizona Diamondback's roster, but before you read be sure to check out the Bleacher Report and CBS Commissioner discount:

http://baseball.cbssports.com/splash/baseball/spln/mgmt/offer/c?ttag=fbbc10_on_all_br_os_na_0001

Value picks are the key to a draft, everyone gets a shot to get premier players in the first three rounds. But what your draft success hinges on is good value picks later in the draft, where you get productive players whom outplay their average draft position.

There are tons of value picks spread out throughout the baseball world, all it takes is a little bit of research. 

The team with the most value picks, in my opinion, is the Arizona Diamondbacks. I may be higher on this team than some, or maybe even most, but the talent on their offense and in the back-end of their bullpen may be extremely undervalued. 

Mark Reynolds, Justin Upton, and Dan Haren are all top-10 at their respective positions, so they won't be included in this piece. Brandon Webb, normally a top starter as well, will begin the season on the DL so he will not be included either.

Let's take a look at the undervalued Diamondback's lineup and roster.

Catcher- Miguel Montero, Ranked No. 8

Montero burst onto the fantasy scene last year, posting 16 home runs in just 470 plate appearances to go along with a .295 average. His average probably will be closer to the .275-.285 mark but his home runs should boost up to around 20 given a full season of plate appearances. 

Kurt Suziki is currently ranked ahead of Montero on CBS fantasy rankings, and Kurt hit one less homer (15) than Montero in 144 more plate appearances, and also had a considerably lower batting average at just .274. Even if Montero's average is similar to Suziki's, his power will be much better and the better pick would have to be Montero.

Russell Martin is also ranked ahead of Montero, but Russel's continually decreasing average (.250) and power (7 HR) reached a low last season and expecting him to rebound to '07 form is more hopeful than wise. 

First Basemen- Adam LaRoche, Ranked No. 24

Over the past four seasons, LaRoche has averaged a .276 avg, 86 rbi, 76 runs, and 26 HR. These are decent but definitely unspectacular numbers for a first basemen. What makes LaRoche valuable, is that if you draft him and store him on your bench or in your utility spot, he has the chance to be your most productive player in the second half.

Over the same time period, LaRoche has averaged a .312 avg, 43 rbi, 35 runs, and 14 homers in just the second half. These are very good second half numbers, as the second half is about 73 or 74 games compared to 88 or 89 in the first. So after the all-star break, Laroche will produce like a 30-homer first basemen with a .312 average, impressive numbers.

I'm not telling you to start LaRoche the whole season, but he is definitely an undervalued first basemen and storing him on your bench and starting him later in the year could give you seriously help your team later in the season, you know, when the playoffs are and everything.

Second Basemen- Kelly Johnson, Ranked No. 20

Johnson had an injury-filled and mismanaged year in 2009. His manager, Bobby Cox, decided not to play Johnson against left handed pitching.

Johnson is one of the rare, very rare, left-handed hitters that hits left-handed pitching better than right-handed pitching. Johnson has a career OPS of .808 vs. left-handers and .765 OPS vs. right-handers.

Bill James projects Johnson to hit 14 homers, steal 10 bases, and hit for a .274 average. These are pretty solid numbers as a 2B and there is the potential for Johnson to outplay these projections as he plays his first season in hitter friendly Chase Field. 

Shortstop- Stephen Drew, Ranked No. 11

Drew battled some health problems last season, but as we saw from Troy Tulowitzki, an season in which your productivity decreases due to injury does not devalue you as a fantasy player.

Drew hit 21 home runs and had a .291 average just two years ago, and if he gets 650 plate appearances he should be able to come close to those marks again.

The average may be a bit lower than that of a Yunel Escobar, but the power Drew has is more reliable than Yunel's. Drew is a solid shortstop to grab later in the draft but only if you are confident that you can get steals in other places, as Drew's career high in steals is just nine. 

Outfield- Connor Jackson, Ranked No. 76

Jackson too had an injury-riddled 2009, mostly due to a fever, but he is in full health and ready to start the year off right in 2010. 

Jackson will never be mistaken for a big power threat, but he did manage two straight seasons of 15 homers a few years ago, which was unacceptable as a first basemen but decent as an outfielder if he has a good average and speed.

One good thing about Jackson's game is that he is running more and more each year. Two years ago, he stole 10 bases and in just 110 plate appearances last year he stole five. 

In comparison, Adam Jones is ranked 34 and he had 19 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and a .277 average. In Jackson's last full season he hit 15 home runs, with 10 stolen bases, and a .300 average. Jones ranking is mostly based on potential, but Jackson is certainly worth a late round pick if you are looking for a reliable outfielder who can help a bit in all five standard categories throughout the season. 

Outfield- Chris Young, Ranked No. 68

Young will never help your average out, but he can help in all other categories as he is a great power threat and very good on the bases. He played in just 134 games last year and still managed to hit 15 home runs and steal 11 bases. These aren't phenomenal numbers, but with a seasons worth of at bats and a better contact rate Young could be a 20/20 player for the second time in his career.

His OPS has fallen in each of the last two years, so there is no guarantee that his contact will get better, but as a potential waiver wire or late-round pick he is a player worth taking a risk on. His major league walk rate is continually rising, so at least one thing has been going forward for Young the past few years.

Closer- Chad Qualls, Ranked No. 22

The closer position is always full of sleepers and undervalued power arms and this year is no different. 

Qualls is a control master, walking just seven in 52 innings last year while striking out 45. The strikeouts are not terribly impressive, but they are pretty solid and not far from a strikeout per inning. Qualls has been a very good reliever his whole career and now that he has the opportunity to close games he is finally useful in the fantasy world.

It is hard to project which closers will perform well and which will perform poorly, but reliable and consistent relievers like Qualls are always a good bet when looking for saves and a low ERA. The improved Diamondbacks roster should lead to more opportunities for Qualls. 

Overall Analysis

Overall, there are definitely better options than the aforementioned players, but for where they are going in their drafts they are solid value picks. The Diamondbacks are overlooked by most of the baseball world, and their fantasy production is overlooked as well. If you are looking for a player who will produce late in the draft, just look for a Diamondback and there's a good chance he will help your team succeed. 

CBSSports.com is a Bleacher Report partner and paying sponsor of the Bleacher Report baseball communities. This post is one of a series of sponsor-endorsed posts related to the CBSSports.com Fantasy Baseball Commissioner League.