Guest post: Ranking teams by offseason keepers

Mister Chris has taken the time to put together a guest post in which he ranks the teams based on keepers alone. This is quite convenient since I was not planning to do it!

So, without further ado, I present you his list of rankings, all SIC.



1) Shea – this one was a no-brainer. Shea touts a ridiculous 1-2 pitching combo and arguably the best hitter in the AL who just had another fat man from the land of beer (hmmm new drinking buddy for Miggy?) to replace V-Mart and offer Miggy all the incentive pitchers will need NOT to give him a free pass every time. Another no-brainer was signing Verlander for 3 years, great drafting last year buddy in taking Ver—oh, wait.

2) Dave – Dave has the undeniable best 1-2 hitter combo. Pujols needs no introduction and even heals quicker than the average human being. Kemp got the shaft in the MVP voting (pretty obvious which sect runs baseball) and should join the 40/40 club this year. Dave’s pitching options were not very strong but he took the best, although not yet proven, option he had. Look for Zimm’s innings cap to be lifted this year and a duplication of last year’s stats makes him a legit SP.

3) Bob – Bob pulled a fast one last year and took 2 STUD pitchers with his first 2 picks and sent other owners (yep, guilty) into panic mode to take a SP. The move paid off, Bob had the best staff and now enters the year with the best 1-2 pitching combo in the league (slight nod over Shea’s duo due to Felix pitching for a AAA club) and Bob now has that power punch locked up for a lengthy amount of time. Zimm is a solid option, but nothing to get overly excited about. He still produced (when healthy last year) and with the addition of Braveheart this year, the Nats lineup will be that much better.

4) Andy – last year this trio would have taken the top spot, no doubt. Another year, another story. Cliff Lee can single-handedly win an owner a match-up any given week and Cargo has the rare power/speed combo that initially led Andy to hose Joe (“HJ”) down in Brigantine 2 years ago. If Hanley regains the form he was supposed to have last year, and has had every year before last, then watch out. The 1 year signing leads me to believe Andy is banking on a top 3 pick in this year’s draft, could be a scary team if the right player falls to him.

5) Jack – steady steady steady … good way to describe Jack’s hitters, and filling 2 infield spots with keeps is always a plus. That being said, I gotta say I am stunned by the decision to keep Daniel Hudson for T-H-R-E-E years… especially with Beckett available (hey, at least he has done something prior to last year). I think that may have been the safer pick, even if just for a year. Maybe Jack knows something the rest of us don’t, but I wouldn’t be surprised if in early June I get a trade proposal involving Daniel Hudson sent to me. Stay tuned folks.

6) Mike – always a plus going into your season with 2 aces holding down the rotation and their proven success launches Mike into the top half of the rankings. What is not a plus is having a cheater on your team. I applaud the decision to suspend Braun and only wish it was a lengthier sentence. That being said, Mike will still get him back with plenty of ball to play in the season. Gotta wonder though, was it a mistake to sign Braun to such a long contract now that Corey Hart or … well, I guess that’s it, will be behind him. Pencil in Mike for winning walks each week once Braun comes back.

7) Chris – well, he will enter the season with a sure thing in the game’s best 2b on one of the best, if not the best, offenses in the league. What’s not such a sure thing is whether his other keeper decisions will pay off. Starting with the easier of the 2, taking Gio was probably the best decision as the pickings were slim and the guy has had back-to-back very solid seasons and will now transition to the NL which historically leads to a slight bump in stats. Reyes for 2 though … Vegas is currently taking odds on who Reyes will cause to curse more this year, Chris or Ozzie Guillen. Get in on the action you gambling junkies.

8) Hal – every year there is a keeper decision that leads to jaws dropping and Jews dancing (ahem: Andy, congrats on getting tossed that bone). I get it that losing a draft pick sucks, but c’mon, Bautista found a way to beat testing positive for roids, you gotta ride that! We’ll see how this one shakes out but I would imagine that immediately after clicking “send” in submitting his decision, Hal immediately shook his head. Anyway, having a top 3 pitcher in the game who seemingly registers a CG every start and a consistent hitter who produced well without Fat Albert last year is nothing to hang your head about.

9) Joe – Ellsbury shocked the fantasy world last year and apparently made enough of an impression on this Yankees fan owner that he’s drinking the kool-aid and expecting a similar performance. While I wouldn’t expect a repeat of 30+ HR’s and 100+ RBI’s, Ellsbury certainly has the potential to impact every hitting category and should have a solid year. Joe chooses to trust in gene therapy for a declining hitter in A-Rod and tosses a 20 game winner back into the pool. Hmmm. Greinke finished the season pitching like he had when first locked up (by an unnamed manager) to a 3 year deal, no reason to think he hasn’t settled in and will be a consistent game-in/game-out option.

10) Adam – the only manager who didn’t shake things up from last year’s keepers selection. If Hamilton stays healthy this team should jump a few spots easy. Without making any moves it is hard to write anything substantial, except that I approve of the manager’s decision not to cut anyone and keep the same guys. Here’s to seeing if Adam will keep up with his team all year long!

11) Ricky – ehhhh hmmmm welllllll …. I dunno just looking at these guys I am not too impressed, although, looking at this manager’s team last year, I was equally unimpressed. Timmy was a gimme and deserves no discussion as he has been an impact stud pitcher since entering the league. Beltre and Gallardo for 1 year each seems like the only decision this manager could make and his keeper signings signal to me more of a “this is the best I got, I hope this year won’t be too painful” type approach. Having a top pick in this year’s draft will quickly fill the spot of one of these 2 meh signings when all is said and done.

12) Ken – sorry Kenneth but this spot’s for you. Crawford was a monumental disappointment for fantasy owners alike last year and starting the season with those ugly red “DL” letters next to his name can’t be encouraging. Ken does get some points though for improving on the worst keeper selection ever (Arroyo) and moving up to sign Garcia. A 1 year sentence for Garcia isn’t the end of the world either. Hitters caught on towards the end of last season and Ken may want to consider flipping him early if he duplicates 2011 and starts off hot. As far as Prince, thank you Ken. Thank you for not making the pot that much sweeter for the lottery candidates.

Feel free to agree/disagree, post your thoughts or contribute in any other meaningful (or unmeaningful as sometimes happens) way.