As much as some players can single
handedly turn your fantasy dream into a nightmare, there are twice as many
capable of giving you a swift kick in the pants that can push you to the top.
In fantasy baseball, one thing is painfully clear—speed kills—your hopes, that
is, if you can’t find some semblance of a ground attack to offset the mashers
in the heart of the lineup. With that in mind, we’ve laid down the law on
several hitters capable of posting sneaky totals in the all-important steals
category.
If there’s anything negative to be said
about Gibbons, it’s the fact he dropped five home runs in 2003 (28-23) despite
135 extra at-bats. But there are more positives here than at an optimists’
convention, as Gibbons saw his RBIs increase by 31 (to 100), his average jump
by .30 points (to .277) and the addition of Miguel Tejada, Javy Lopez and
Rafael Palmeiro to the lineup. Could he be surrounded by any more big bats?
Gibbons has true 30-home-run potential, but he seems to get lost in the shuffle
of the bigger names in the American League. Just entering his prime at the age
of 27, Gibbons could become a two-position player, too. He logged 13 games at
first in 2003, which may give him already flexibility in some leagues.
The American League isn’t at a loss for
talented catchers, whether it’s a veteran (Jason Varitek, Jorge Posada or
Matthew LeCroy) or young player on the rise (Joe Mauer, Toby Hall or Victor
Martinez). If you need someone to help round you out in steals, however, look
no further than this White Sox backstop. When we throw Oilvo’s name into this
sleeper mix, it’s not because he hit six home runs or drove in 27. And it’s
certainly not because he struck out 80 times in 317 trips to the plate (one
every 3.9 at bats). Olivo is of a rare breed right now because he’s a catcher
with the potential to steal some bases. He had six in 2003, and expecting
double digits in the category isn’t quite like asking for world peace. Sandy
Alomar Jr., played just 75 games last year and Josh Paul isn’t to be feared
with a stick in his hand. The doors’ wide open for Olivo to run right through
it, and he could be a major boost in a hard-to-find category.
Jason Giambi’s coming off knee surgery
and a .192 average against lefties, and the type of injury he suffered—the same
as Mark McGwire—shouldn’t make anyone feel comfortable heading into April.
Though he continued to swing for the fences and tied his career high with 41
homers, Giambi’s average plummeted .64 points to .250. Enter Clark, who takes
over for the departed Nick Johnson. A switch-hitter, Clark is a perfect fit for
the Yankees and the House That Ruth Built. He clubbed 16 home runs in just 254
at bats across town in 2003, and he could equal those totals this year. As a
backup first baseman in an AL-only league, Clark is a solid acquisition on
Draft Day.
Nivar started his career in the middle
infield, but duty called for a switch to the outfield because Texas has Hank
Blalock, A-Rod, Mark Texeira and Michael Young holding down jobs on the dirt.
The switch has been a success, considering the swiftness with which Nivar ran
through the minor-league ranks. In late-season action with Texas, Nivar stole
four bases and provided sparkling defense in center field before injuring his
shoulder. Laynce Nix and Kevin Mench are ready to fill two spots, but don’t
believe for a second that Brian Jordan’s lasting a full season patrolling the
outfield.
A lefty pitching at the spacious Network Associates Coliseum? Talk about fantasy heaven! Redman finally broke through for the World Champions Marlins. Redman is anything but a hard thrower and that may actually work in his favor. He’s no spring chicken at 30, but pitchers who rely on location tend to develop later, anyway. Plus, they have longer careers. Just look at Rick Reed, Jamie Moyer and dare we suggest Esteban Loaiza. Unlike Moyer and Reed, however, Redman has just enough gas to rack up some solid strikeout totals—he had 151 in 190.2 innings and hit double-digits in three starts. With Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito catching the top arms on opposing staffs, Redman has a great shot to rack up plenty of wins as a back-of-the-rotation starter. Relatively durable, Redman has made 59 starts over the last two years, averaging just 2.56 walks per nine innings during the span, so he’ll be a great boost in leagues where WHIP is a factor (1.26).
What can you expect from Maroth? How about the ultimate rebound? It takes a lot of hard luck to rack up 20 losses, and Maroth certainly had plenty of that pitching for a Tigers team that lost an unfathomable 119 games in 2003. Walks weren’t a problem (just 50 in 193.1 innings), but the defense behind him helped contribute to the 231 hits he allowed. If Pudge Rodriguez makes his way to Motown as winter rumors were suggesting, Maroth’s value would get a significant boost. No disrespect to Brandon Inge, of course, but Pudge has a long history of getting the most out of his pitching staff, and his strong arm behind the plate will help keep baserunners from getting that big jump on Maroth (eight steals in 11 attempts).
You can have Eric Chavez, take Troy
Glaus, too, while you’re at it, and even Aaron Boone. Me? My money’s riding on
Koskie. Injuries have gotten the best of him over the last two years, but he’s
still batting in the heart of the Minnesota. His speed sets him apart from
others at the hot corner—Koskie’s stolen at least 10 bases in each of the last
three years, including 27 in 2001. He’s a cheaper, yet almost as potent third
basemen, who can be taken a few rounds after the top dogs are selected.
Kim is being shuttled back into a
starter’s role for the Red Sox, and that may be the best place for him. While
he won’t amount to much of an inning’s eater, he will provide solid strikeout
numbers and win totals working out of the No. 4 or No. 5 spot in the Boston
rotation. He’ll get plenty of offensive backing from the lineup, and over the
last three years Kim hasn’t posted a WHIP higher than 1.12 or allowed batters
to hit better than .224 in any season against him.
Remember him? A 20-game winner for the
Cubs in 2001, Lieber missed all of 2003 recovering from major arm surgery. Let’s
not kid ourselves and believe the Yankees over-the-hill rotation featuring
Kevin Brown, will stay healthy all year. Brown has become fragile and Contreras
is still an X-factor after a shaky first season in the Bronx. Before his injury
in 2002, Lieber had pitched over 200 innings in three consecutive years, but
never walked more than 54 batters. If you’re looking to take a late-round flier
on an arm, Lieber can provide solid numbers across the board and a healthy win
total as well.
To run away in a category like saves it
takes arms like Eric Gagne and John Smoltz. But it’s also important to find a
sneaky source, and that’s where a player like German comes into the picture. He’s
the very definition of an unbridled power pitcher given his struggles with
command. An ungodly 2.06 WHIP and 6.04 ERA in 45 appearances last year will
likely take him off many Draft Day lists. And pitching for Detroit will scare
away even more fantasy ballers who fear the bad team=few save opportunity theory.
But that’s hardly the case. Detroit’s not going to finish the year winless and
as a team had 27 saves in 2003. Besides, when you draft German, you’re not looking
for 40 saves, but something in the neighborhood of 20-25 as a No. 3 closer
would be a huge boost to any staff.
Steve
Siniski is a premium writer for Fantasyasylum.com