Fantasy Baseball 2011: Is Omar Infante a Viable Late-Round Option?

Eric StashinFeb 13, 2011

Traded as part of the deal that sent Dan Uggla to Atlanta, Omar Infante is a player who brings some intrigue to fantasy owners for 2011.

For owners in most formats, he will have eligibility at 2B, 3B and OF (in formats that require less than 20 games, he will also have SS eligibility), which instantly adds to his appeal.

However, does he bring enough to the table offensively to make him a worthwhile choice?

TOP NEWS

Let’s take a look at his 2010 offensive production for the Atlanta Braves:

471 AB, .321 BA (151 hits), 8 HR, 47 RBI, 65 RS, 7 SB, .359 OBP, .416 SLG, .355 BABIP.

Right off the bat, it is obvious that Infante brings no power and no speed to the table, so that is a major knock against him.

Is there enough in the other categories to offset that? Honestly, I’m not so sure.

We know he’s not going to generate a significant number of RBI, regardless of where he hits in the order. In 2010, he had 26 extra base hits, the second-highest total he’s posted in the past five years (he had 30 in ’08).

There’s just no reason to think anything significant is going to change.

The average was nice, but can we really anticipate him maintaining that type of BABIP? For his career, Infante has a .313 BABIP, though he has been between .316 and .355 since 2006.

If all else remained equal and his BABIP fell to .324 in ’10, his average would have dropped to .293.

That seems like a lot more realistic of a mark.

Obviously, he needs to be a lock to hit over .300 to help offset his lack of power and speed. Unfortunately, Infante is far from it.

Maybe he can score a few runs hitting second in the Marlins' order, with Hanley Ramirez and company waiting behind him, but that is far from enough to overlook his other negatives.

His OBP just isn’t enough to make us think he’ll approach 100 runs scored. In fact, it’s no guarantee he surpasses 90.

Infante is a nice player for those in deeper formats, considering the position flexibility he brings to the table. As someone that you may plug in for a few days at a time, or maybe a week or two tops, he’s not going to hurt you.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like he is going to help you, either.

There are certainly other options I’d rather focus on, especially for those in deeper formats.

What about you? Is Infante someone you wouldn’t mind drafting? If so, what is it about his play that you like?

Make sure to order your copy of the Rotoprofessor 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide, selling for just $5, by clicking here.

Make sure to check out some of our 2011 projections: