Keepers killing Shea, Dave

A big reason why Dave and Shea occupy two of the league's bottom three spots is because their keepers just haven't panned out. Overall, they've been downright dreadful.

Dave has John Lackey and Jimmy Rollins (along with Erik Bedard), and Shea has Vladimir Guerrero and Ervin Santana (along with Alfonso Soriano). Those are four guys who probably aren't on most Yahoo! public teams right about now.

Lackey, Guerrero and Santana have been injured for a big chunk of the season, and Rollins is just a disgrace at the plate right now. Dave has had to resort to benching him.


Luckily for Shea, his keepers' contracts are up at the end of the season.

"I blame my team on the economy," Shea said early Thursday morning. "I feel like Kansas City right now...just can't put up the draft picks like the big boys did the past couple years."

Dave loses Lackey, but not Rollins, and it appears like it will be very hard for Dave to unload the shortstop.

"Hope he turns it around after the All-Star break or at least I'm guaranteed another high draft pick," Dave said.

Shea made a great draft pick in Felix Hernandez, specifically gearing ahead toward this offseason. And he does have some nice players in Justin Morneau, Johnny Damon and Chipper Jones. But, Shea thinks a name not mentioned there could earn his way onto the club next year.

"If (David) Ortiz keeps this up my keeps next year look promising," Shea said. "He's been my best player."

When asked further about his current keepers, Shea seemed at a loss for words.

"Well I'm 2-10, Andy," he said. "What am I supposed to say? Can I even make the playoffs? I don't necessarily know what i would have done differently. (My keepers) have sat more then they've played this year."

Obviously Shea kept Guerrero a year too long and just made a mistake with Santana. Dave, who kept Rollins for three years after his 2007 MVP season, may have to consider forfeiting a draft pick to cut him.

It should make for another interesting offseason. And it just goes to show how important these decisions are in this league.