Unveiling of Keepers (Fantasy Style)

Despite the deadline of Feb. 28 as the day keepers are due in the Grand Slam league, teams are already starting to release their tentative rosters. Here are the few that have.

Screaming Eagles

UTL - David Ortiz (.264 - 23 - 89) *109 games played

1B - Carlos Pena (.247 - 31 - 102)

1B/3B - Chris Davis (.285 - 17 - 55) *80 games played

OF - Adam Dunn (.236 - 40 - 100)

SP - Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-3, 2.90 ERA, 154 K's)

RP - Mariano Rivera (1.40 ERA, 39 Saves, 77 K's)

RP - Trevor Hoffman (3.77 ERA, 30 Saves, 46 K's)

Ouch. Keeping two relievers? David Ortiz may be the only exception, but having a player who can only be used in the valuable utility slot really hamstrings teams for options. Screaming Eagles will really need to have a good draft to go anywhere in this league. By naming these keepers, Ryan Zimmerman, Hideki Matsui, Brad Penny, and Vernon Wells have all been dropped into the draft.

Sheedmen

C - Joe Mauer (.328 - 9 - 85)

C - Geovany Soto (.285 - 23 - 86)

2B - Chase Utley (.292 - 33 - 104)

3B - Aramis Ramirez (.289 - 27 - 111)

OF - Ichiro Suzuki (.310 - 6 - 42)

SP - Jake Peavy (10-11, 2.85 ERA, 166 K's)

RP - Carlos Marmol (2.68, 7 Saves, 114 K's)

Before Full Count took the title last season, Sheedmen was holder of the title for two years running but got knocked off in the semifinals last year. While it is almost unheard of to keep two catchers, it's hard to question the only team to have won multiple titles.

Having the Sheedmen keeper list be released gives way for such talent as Michael Young, Milton Bradley, Joakim Soria, Erik Bedard, and Scott Kazmir to be available for other teams to snatch up in the draft in March. Sheedmen has however made public that he's open to trading one of his catchers along with Utley, but for the right price.

Instigators

1B - Mark Teixeira (.308 - 33 - 121)

2B - Dustin Pedroia (.326 - 17 - 83)

3B - Evan Longoria (.272 - 27 - 85)

OF - Jay Bruce (.254 - 21 - 52) *108 games played

OF - Carl Crawford (.273 - 8 - 57)

SP - Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09, 196)

SP - Francisco Liriano (6-4, 3.91, 67) *14 games started

The Instigators' second-year GM is definitely going with a youth movement. It's quite risky keeping youngsters, but the benefits could be huge if the talent stays on par with what they did last year. Available players coming off the Instigators roster include Hunter Pence, Justin Upton, Alex Rios, and David Price.