If you missed my predictions for the Three Late-Round Bargain hitters, click here:
I refuse to place any closers in this article, since they should always be left undrafted and picked up in free agency.
I live by the "Don't Pay For Saves" mantra, because Health Bell (42), David Aardsma (38), Ryan Franklin (38), Andrew Bailey (26), and Leo Nunez (26) were among the MLB save leaders in 2009.
If you heard of or drafted any one of these players prior to the 2009 season, either come forth as Nostradamus and email me next week’s lottery numbers, or admit to being a liar.
If there’s one constant in fantasy baseball, its change. I’ll give you a second to marinate in that.
According to Ron Shandler’s 2010 Baseball Forecaster, over the past ten years, a whopping 40 percent of relievers drafted for saves failed to hold the role for an entire season. Put simply, closers are the preeminent “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately” position in all of sports, and most managers tend to have extremely short leashes for pitchers who can single-handedly wipe away eight innings of work with a few misguided throws.
Let other less knowledgeable owners get all giddy about drafting Jonathon Broxton, Jonathon Papelbon, and Joakim Soria before the 10th round – you know better, and will use those picks to stockpile talent.
There will always be saves in the free agent pool.
Now, the following three starters may find themselves floating around on your free-agent pool as well long after your draft is over—if that's the case, remember this article, and swipe these guys up and become the envy of the rest of your league.
- Login to post comments