It is a frequent dilemma for those who love the sport of baseball.
"Who will Leyland's Lungs take in the 20th round?"
"Are there any good relief pitchers not named Rivera or Papelbon?"
"I don't recognize any of the names on this list."
For some, this could lead to a nervous breakdown, a horrible selection, and an offseason full of shame after finishing in the cellar of your league.
And while I cannot help you to become a good fantasy player overnight, I can provide the fine citizens of bleacherreport.com with this fantasy cheat sheet of sleepers easily ascertainable in the late rounds or on the waiver wire.
Catcher.
I'll be blunt. Catcher has always been the weakest position in all of fantasy baseball, but the battery mates have really outdone themselves this year.
If you can't get Cleveland's Victor Martinez, don't bother picking until the very late rounds, if at all.
Unless this article catches on like wildfire, these players should be available very late.
Dioner Navarro, Tampa Bay Rays
Big Dio as I call him had a bad year last year. That's great news for you. This switch-hitting catcher slugged a respectable .475 after the All-Star break. That number puts him in the top three of Major League catchers over the same time period. He also batted .285 with eight of his nine home runs and 31 of his 44 RBI. This shows that Dio has figured out big league pitching and is turning it into big league hitting. I expect Navarro to continue that into 2008.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Texas Rangers
If you are playing in a kick-ass name only league, you'll be fresh out of luck in picking this kid up. If you are in a league like the rest of society, I believe you will find this young whippersnapper to be worthy of a late-round pick and a spot either as your starter or anxiously awaiting playing time on your bench.
Saltalamacchia (or Salty for short) was the deal breaker in the Teixeira trade to Atlanta, finishing the best transaction line in the history of baseball. The catchers spot is Salty's to loose, and his closest competition is the last player you want to draft, Gerald Laird.
That said, Salty is raw, but incredibly talented. A member of the rare guild of switch-hitting catchers, Saltalamacchia had 7 RBI in Texas' 30-3 win last year in Baltimore. And while Baltimore is hardly a good barometer of major league pitching, I think that the exposure on the major league level last year will benefit him greatly.
Saltalamacchia is a bit of a risky pick, but don't fret if Jarrod starts slow, the only thing he needs is major league experience. As soon as it clicks for him, he will be a valued commodity, especially in keeper leagues, and will pay major dividends in the second half of the season.
5 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
JJ Stankevitz about 1 year ago
Ha, good call on Navarro. I may have to consider picking him up in a late round in my draft over the weekend considering that there's no way in hell I'm wasting an early pick on Martinez (Indians bias, I guess).
As for other sleepers, don't forget Geovanny Soto, but if you're playing in a league with Cubs fans he might be gone by the fifth round. J.R. Towles out of Houston might be another decent pickup, but he's completely unproven at the MLB level.
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Dieter Kurtenbach about 1 year ago
Soto is going to be a beast, but with the large Cubs contingency in this WGN world, I have found that in every single one of my drafts that he is getting picked by "Sweet Lou's Gang." I would certainly advise anyone to grab him if you can, but I think the secret is out.
I don't know what to make of Towles. The kid batted .375 in his 14 game September call up, but I do think that could be a fluke. He's only a career .302 hitter in the minors. I wouldn't draft him until he has proven that he can hit major league pitching over a long period of time. Say, two or three months. Word out of Houston is that if Towles is horrible in April and May they will just cut their losses and give him some work in in Round Rock. I don't think that will happen if he does have a bad first few months, but I can foresee struggles adjusting to both catching and hitting major league pitchers.
Take into account that both are rookies. There is something to be said for having some major league experience at the plate, especially at a position where offense is an afterthought. I think that Soto is as close to the real deal as they come and he will catch nearly all the Cubs games. But again, he is a rookie and one month, or even less in these cases, is not a solid barometer on the major league level.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
My backstop is Josh Bard what do you think?
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Joel Estrin about 1 year ago
My backstop is Josh Bard what do you think?
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Dieter Kurtenbach about 1 year ago
He is a much better hitter when he is batting left handed, and he has a high on base percentage no matter which side he hits from. The kid had a solid year in limited time, but the power numbers aren't there. I put Bard in the 10-15 home run range if he plays the entire year. Take into account that he plays half of his games @ the Pet. That is one reason I am not a fan of having Bard on your fantasy team. You can get a lot more bang for your buck with another catcher. I also think that Bard is not going to have a good fantasy season because he will not get his fair cut on playing time. Micheal Barrett is going to get the benefit of the doubt on his dismal performance last year, and will receive most of the PT in SD. If Bard were to be the number one catcher on April 1st, I would say that he is a solid pickup for a team looking to boost their average, especially if you only play him against right handed starters. He won't get that treatment in San Diego, meaning that if you were to use him in such a fashion, you would be receiving zero points the majority of the time. I would pick up a number one catcher, until Barrett looses his job.
Who are some FA catchers in your league?
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