Sleeper Keepers
Now is the time of year to worry about who you plan on keeping next season. Since most league’s trading deadline has passed, you’re going to need to head over to the waiver wire to find available young pieces. Here are three guys who you should consider picking up and keeping in deeper or league-specific leagues.
Roger Bernadina | OF | Nationals
The Nationals called up Bernadina when their other right field options (notably Justin Maxwell) failed early on. In a little over 350 trips to the plate this year, he’s posted a triple slash of .271/.327/.433 with a .338 wOBA. It’s not a surprise that he’s stolen 13 bases, but his double digit home runs are a shock, seeing that he never hit for power in any of his minor league stints. Bernadina turned 26 in July, so the power may finally be developing. He’s never going to be a superstar, but a 15/25 season is a reasonable expectation if he gets steady playing time next year.
Gregor Blanco | OF | Royals
Blanco came over to Kansas City thanks to the Ankiel/Farnsworth deal, and has gotten steady playing time ever since. The lefty rarely hits fly balls, which allows him to maintain a high BABIP without a super LD%. He knows how to draw a walk, but a lack of power makes him only a league average hitter. He’s stolen 10 bases in under 200 plate appearances, and has only been caught once as a Royal. If Ned Yost gives him the same amount of playing time for a full season, Blanco could steal 25 bases without hurting your batting average, with the distinct possibility of swiping more than 30 bags.
John Lannan | SP | Nationals
While his overall numbers aren’t fantastic, Lannan has put up impressive numbers since being recalled in August. Lannan regained his control, while finding a way to raise his Whiff%, too. He’s maintained an impressive ground ball percentage through all of this, and I’m loving what he’s done in August. Be a bit more cautious with Lannan, but I think he’s figured something out on the mound, and could be a solid contributor next year.
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Would you suggest Blanco or Brantley as a better keeper for 2011?
Brantley.
To me, it seems like sleepers would not be keepers, but rather players I can throw back with the relative certainty that they will be available in the draft next spring. If you’re keeping Gregor Blanco, are you keeping value? Seems like there would be more value in dumping Blanco and grabbing in the next year, which would make him the 25th guy on the team, rather than the 19th or 20th (figuring we’re only talking about deep keeper leagues where many players are kept).
What about Neil Walker or EY Jr as sleeper keepers? Which one would you pick?
EY
In a keeper league where you can keep anyone as long as you want at their average draft round from the year before would Stephen Strasburg be a sleeper keeper?
How did Jason Hamel not get mentioned?? You are a big hammel fan…
That’s a given, duh.
Hammel’s BB/9 is great, but he gives up too many H/9, most likely because he works in the strike zone so much of the time. So maybe getting some more swinging strikes will help him.
His other numbers though are fantastic, his HR/9, BAA and WHIP are very similar both home and away this season. I have a ton of hope for Hammel in the coming years.
In a 10-team 7×7 roto league with 4 keepers, should I even consider keeping Strasburg to ensure having him rostered for the 2012 season.
My other options are Hamels, Liriano, Haren, Danks and Webb.
10 teams and 4 keepers tells me that you should only be keeping players that you consider top 40 for 2011. If you keep Strasburg and three top 40 players while everyone else keeps four top 40 players you will be at a huge disadvantage before the draft even begins. I love Hamels and Lirano, but I wouldn’t consider them top 40 players either.
Let’s say you do think Strasburg is going to be a god in 2012 and beyond – then draft him in round 7 or 8 or 9, etc. I personally wouldn’t do it, but it makes more sense than wasting a keeper slot on him.
THANKS
Lannan? Blech. If he is on the table as a keeper option, I think I would cut bait and cast my line back into the player pool. You’re bound to snag something bigger than that guppy.
(Maybe even a Marlin?)
/end retardo fishing metaphor/
Agree. I can’t conceive of a league where Lannan would be rosterable, let alone a sleeper. Even if he had elite control, his comically low K/9 means that virtually every batter is going to put the ball in play (or hit a HR). He would need to be a league leader in BB/9 and BABIP to get his WHIP into the 1.2s, but even if he managed that, he would kill you in Ks and he won’t get many wins.
I know right? If you’re keeping him, I’d hate to see who you’re cutting loose. Jeff Suppan? Cesar Izturis? Kevin Millwood? Brendan Ryan?
Maybe it’s a league where you keep 24 of your 25 players and have a one-round draft?
Zach, don’t you think Bernadina should be running a bit more? I mean we’re talking about a guy who stole 40 bases plus in the minors, and only 13? That’s a steady amount of AB’s… wouldn’t you expect maybe 5 more steals?
It wouldn’t surprise me.
I’m in a 12 team dynasty keeper league where you can keep any 6 players as long as you want. What, if any, is the keeper value of having Strasburg?
Do you have to keep the same six every year or is it like most leagues – you get to keep ANY six guys each year? Personally, in a 12 team league with 6 keepers, I wouldn’t keep Strassburg. You will basically be giving up a 6th round draft pick by keeping Strassburg – everyone else will have 6 top 70 players to begin 2011 and you will only have 5.
Why not keep your six best non-Strasburg players and then draft Strasburg in round 8,9,10,etc. if you love him so much?
In my league you can keep any 6 players year to year. You draft them in the average round they went the year before. So Strasburg would be a 14th round pick to keep for me.
I have Strasburg in a 10 team keeper (7) and there’s no way I even consider wasting a spot on him. Question: who would you keep instead? Right now thinking about Carlos Santana, Jeremy Hellickson, Aroldis Champan, or Jennry Mejia?
My other six are Posey, Wright, McCutch, Cargo, Latos, and Wainwright.