Sometimes I think what we do is an exercise in futility. We are drafting players with no idea of not only what their role will be, but team they will be playing for. The odds are that if drafting early, one or more of those players has been traded or lost or gained a new role.
Luke Gregerson has gone from a sure-shot to a no-shot.
Zack Greinke has lost a round of ADP.
Michael Brantley who lost two rounds of ADP, lost two more rounds of ADP.
Lance Lynn is a write-off.
Aroldis Chapman owners don't know what to think.
Neither do Puig owners.
Yunel Escobar is seeing his fifth team in the last five years. A clubhouse poison.
Oh, those Cubans, right Jim?
We think we draft for the future. But really, we're drafting for the now.
Hector Rondon owners know the Cubs are keeping their ears open for a more qualified Closer.
Some of us will make a mental note to demote Rondon on our lists. Still, somebody will take him in around the 10th round because Rondon has the job NOW.
Now is more important than later. Later holds no guarantees. At least NOW we are right, until we're not.
The Reds trying to trade Chapman and the Yankees trying to trade Miller sends large warnings to me.
We already know the Chapman story.
The story on Miller may be worse in fantasy terms.
I smell that the Yankees have little confidence in Miller's future health.
They signed him to a friendly four year contract just last year. He pitched damned well in a Closer's role that he's never had.
And now, now they are trying to move him?
Something stinks.
And I believe other teams are smelling the same thing.
If trading him, I don't think they'll get a major haul.
I drafted Miller in a previous draft. Most likely, I will not draft him again.
Writers hailed the Neil Walker-Jon Niese trade as even. Not from a fantasy sense. Walker goes from hitting in back of McCutchen and Marte to hitting behind ???
The Mets lineup is still a work in progress, but it's almost certain that there most powerful hitter will be Lucas Duda.
Not much to see here. Especially since he'll be going to a power restricted ballpark.
Niese goes to a worse pitchers park. BUT, he gets to work with Ray Searage who has turned nothing pitchers into something pitchers. Niese always seemed like he was on the brink of something with the Mets, but an injury or something else always seemed to hold him back.
It would not surprise me at all to see him have a wonderful year.
The Red Sox have said they're moving Hanley Ramirez to first base. Naturally.
When a player has shown that he can't field, FIRST BASE!
First base is the hospice of baseball fielders.
As Ramirez has done with other positions, I think he'll make a mockery of first base.
Most of the problem with Ramirez is above his neck. A first baseman with a wondering mind is not a good recipe for success. Either for his team or himself.
The amusing thing for me, is that he'll be playing next to Dustin Pedroia.
If anybody cares about what goes on in an infield, it is Dustin Pedroia.
Putting these two together goes beyond Joe Tinker and Frank Chance.
I'm thinking Andy Taylor and Barney Fife.
