Spring Sensations
April 08, 2005
Welcome back to another season of “Prospect Alert.” We’re back into the swing of things, and appreciate your support. Check back for updates throughout the season. Best of luck goes out to all owners for the 2005 season.
This week, the focus is on some of the surprises of Spring Training. A number of teams made surprising roster decisions, several of those appearing questionable, at best. Keep an eye on these guys, as most could have an impact this season.
What Were They Thinking?
2B Chris Burke, Houston Astros
Burke has plenty of potential at a weak second base position, and had a very nice spring, posting a high average with power and speed. Yet he lost the second base spot to Craig Biggio, who got bumped out of the outfield. There was some speculation that Burke could spend some time in left field, but that shouldn’t happen; in that event, it would be easier to move Biggio back to the outfield and insert Burke at second. Burke could be a .300-15-30 hitter within a couple years, and could very easily approach those numbers if given the opportunity this season. The worst part about this move is that Burke won’t have the opportunity to develop as a starter in the big leagues, and this could hinder his long-term outlook. Sure, he could be back to starting if Scott falters, but Lance Berkman’s return will make that difficult. Now was the time to see if Burke can be a force in the majors, and the Astros appear to be wasting it. The player Burke really lost his starting spot to: Luke Scott.
OF Luke Scott, Houston Astros
If Burke had lost his starting spot to a solid prospect with potential and a history of production, the move would have been justified. But Scott is a low-end prospect who has produced top-level numbers in only half of a minor league season. That half season happened to come in a hitters league (AA Texas League), when he was already 26. Scott’s defense is below-average, and he’s never competed in Triple-A. He did have a very good spring - but so did Burke. Scott does have potential and could develop into a nice player. But given that each player was hot this spring, Burke’s potential, past production, and the theory of position scarcity should’ve made Burke the easy winner.
OF Gabe Gross, Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays’ choice to leave Gross on the bench is explainable, and they made the right choice by giving Gross a big league job. It might have been interesting, however, to hand Gross the keys to a big league job out of Spring Training. He tore the cover off the ball, showing significantly improved power, at least for that stretch of time. Gross was previously viewed as a top prospect with loads of talent, and it could be that he’s on the verge of realizing that potential. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to give Gross the nod over Reed Johnson, if only for a month, to see what he can do. For now, Gross is no more than a reserve outfielder with lots of potential.
Injuries Opened The Door
OF Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
Sizemore is a five-tool prospect who came over from then-Montreal in the Bartolo Colon deal. Considered one of the best prospects in baseball, he had a productive spring but was demoted to the minors with nowhere to play. OF Juan Gonzalez proceeded to land on the 15-day DL, and Sizemore was given the chance to replace him. Gonzalez is consistently injured and Sizemore has plenty of potential. That means Sizemore is worth a look in AL-Only and keeper leagues, and he could quickly become an option in mixed leagues.
OF Jason Repko, Los Angeles Dodgers
Repko wasn’t expected to make the roster, but an injury to Jayson Werth has helped Repko gain consistent playing time in the majors. Repko isn’t really a great prospect from a fantasy perspective: his greatest asset is his defense. Repko does have some speed, but not a ton, and his on-base skills need some work. He is injury-prone, playing in a pitchers park, and doesn’t have a long-term starting job. Expect no more than a decent average, below-average power totals, and a handful of steals, none of which make him worthy of any fantasy consideration.
OF Brad Hawpe, Colorado Rockies
Hawpe will receive regular playing time with Dustin Mohr on the DL, and he’s worth watching. Hawpe has lots of power and could hit for a nice average in Coors, although making contact isn’t really a strength. Hawpe deserves a spot in NL-only leagues and is worth watching for keeper leagues. If he plays up to his potential, Hawpe could quickly develop into a quality mixed-league option, also.
3B Jeff Baker, Colorado Rockies
Baker doesn’t appear to be a long-term fit at third, with Garrett Atkins and Ian Stewart crowding the organizational depth chart. A move to second base or the outfield is quite possible, but for now, Baker is the starter at third while Atkins is on the DL. Keep an eye on Baker in NL-only leagues. He’s never played above Double-A, but he hits for average and possesses more power than Atkins. Playing in Coors doesn’t hurt, either.
3B Mark Teahen, Kansas City Royals
Teahen was expected to start the season in Triple-A with Chris Truby serving as a stopgap at third, but then Truby injured his wrist and is expected to miss the first month of the season. Teahen hasn’t displayed much power yet, but he should hit for average and is very good defensively. Teahen could be very similar to longtime Royals third baseman Joe Randa, proving more valuable to the Royals than fantasy players. Teahen is worth consideration in keeper leagues and deeper AL-only leagues.
RP Yhency Brazoban, Los Angeles Dodgers
Brazoban is the most valuable fantasy player on this list, as he’ll be receiving the save opportunities in Gagne’s absence. Don’t overlook the possibility that Gagne could miss the entire season. Gagne has already had Tommy John surgery on the elbow that is currently ailing him, and he had knee problems in spring training. Brazoban did get hit hard in his first outing this season, and he might not be able to handle mental rigors of closing in the majors. At this point, he should be on fantasy rosters in most leagues, but don’t overpay for him in a trade. Gagne’s injury could deteriorate and cause a season-long absence, but he could just as easily return in a few weeks with Brazoban potentially stumbling along the way.
Pleasant Surprises
SS Jason Bartlett, Minnesota Twins
Bartlett won the starting shortstop spot over a number of other candidates after a strong spring showing, and has gotten off to a hot start during the regular season. Bartlett should hit for average with the potential for 20-25 steals. Given his strong start, Bartlett merits consideration in AL-only and deeper mixed leagues.
OF Willy Taveras, Houston Astros
Taveras is a speedy outfielder with little pop. He won a starting spot in spring training, and could stick even after Berkman returns. Taveras will provide a cheap source of steals and a decent average, but don’t expect anything else. A borderline mixed league option, Taveras is worth owning in NL-only leagues.
OF Ryan Church, Washington Nationals
Church, like Taveras and Scott, is a former Indians minor leaguer. He’s not a spectacular player in any one area, but always seems to produce. Church could hit .280 with mid-teens power over a full season, but he won’t contribute much in the stolen base department. He was expected to get some playing time after Endy Chavez’ demotion, but that has yet to happen. Church is more of a guy to watch for the future, although he’ll likely never be anything more than an average outfielder.
RP Huston Street, Oakland A’s
Street’s value rose as current A’s closer Octavio Dotel’s velocity dropped, and he could end up having some value later in the season. He has a good fastball and slider, and understands how to pitch. Street could take over the full-time closer role later in the season, which makes him worth owning in deeper mixed leagues, as well as AL-only leagues.
Posted by Richie Madden: Apr 8 at 6:51 PM
Fantasy Baseball 
If Taveras plays the entire year, he would likely be in the 40-50 steal range.
Well...this article is a year old and Hawpe's probably good to have in any league now, but I'm sure what Richie meant was that because the depth in mixed leagues is obviously deeper than it is in NL or AL only leagues, there may still be better available players than him in a mixed league.