A lucky Gary Sanchez owner

[Donacion]

WOW no other words. I threw some free agent money at him because I was trotting out Derek Norris, Carlos Perez, Navarro etc., etc. Craziness, baseball never runs out of I can't believe this is happening stories. The Yankees actually have a chance at a wildcard.

[Bronx Yankees]

Totally agree. Bid for him on all four of my teams with FAAB, was lucky to get him on three of those teams, and I feel like I won the lottery. I keep waiting for him to revert back to normal, whatever that is, but it seems like every day he is going yard. Here's hoping he keeps it up! (He also will be an interesting player to try to rank for next year.)

Mike

[DOUGHBOYS]

I am rooting for the Yankees a bit.
I can't think of another team in history that was a 'seller' at the deadline, then competed for a playoff spot.
Addition by subtraction has been good for them.
Fun to watch.

[DOUGHBOYS]

By the way, Sanchez, the first A.L. rookie to hit 11 homers in a month since Mark McGwire in '87.

[Bronx Yankees]

Yankees have gone from hated favorites to spunky underdogs. From aging, overpaid vets to youngsters (some of which probably are paying for league minimum). I don't know if they have what it takes to jump a bunch of teams and sneak into a wildcard spot, but I can see them being the team no one wants play. Just ask Buck Showalter.

Have to give props to Cashman for recent trades. Some examples:

1. 3-team trade where they gave up Shane Greene and got Didi Gregorius.
2. Adam Warren for Starlin Castro.
3. Justin Wilson for Luis Cessa and Chad Green, two potential rotation pieces.
4. Carlos Beltran for three prospects including Dillon Tate, 4th overall pick in 2015 draft.
5. Aroldis Chapman for Adam Warren and three prospects including SS Gleyber Torres.
6. Andrew Miller for Clint Frazier, Indians' top prospect, and three other prospects including a reliever that can throw 100 mph.

When you add that to youngsters like Sanchez, Judge, Bird (who'll be back next year), Betances, etc., you have the makings of an exciting young team. A lot of big contracts coming off books this year and next. Should be fun to watch.

Mike

[Atlas]

Wonder if Sanchez has the time to make a run for ROY?
Who else is there? Fulmer?

[headhunters]

sanchez 1st round in all new York drafts next year- add him to the list dan. over 162 games he should go .325 125 75 125 easy. just like schwaber did this year.

[marknym]

By the way, Sanchez, the first A.L. rookie to hit 11 homers in a month since Mark McGwire in '87.

If that wasn't impressive enough Dan -- he's the quickest player to 11 home runs. EVER.

[DOUGHBOYS]

By the way, Sanchez, the first A.L. rookie to hit 11 homers in a month since Mark McGwire in '87.

If that wasn't impressive enough Dan -- he's the quickest player to 11 home runs. EVER.

Incredible really.

Sanchez- 84 at bats 11 home runs...one month of bliss

Heyward 432 at bats 6 home runs...five months of misery

[Bronx Yankees]

By the way, Sanchez, the first A.L. rookie to hit 11 homers in a month since Mark McGwire in '87.

If that wasn't impressive enough Dan -- he's the quickest player to 11 home runs. EVER.

Incredible really.

Sanchez- 84 at bats 11 home runs...one month of bliss

Heyward 432 at bats 6 home runs...five months of misery

Ugh. Has there been any fantasy player generally healthy who's been a bigger disappointment? Drafted him in two DC leagues. Thought he had improved his approach last year and that he'd been good for 20-25 SB and maybe 15 HR hitting in Wrigley with a BA that at least wouldn't hurt. Those numbers look like a joke now. I've been benching him on and off for months. Well, at least I didn't commit to paying him $180+ million over eight years!

Mike

[marknym]

On Heyward, he just got dropped in my 13-team mixed home league... a league where I could really use another OF... thought he'd be an automatic pick up for me, even if it's to try to catch a hot month... but I don't see the signs of anything there, he's been even worse than I realized.

[DOUGHBOYS]

I highly respect an NFBC veteran whose name I will leave out of this story....

He made it to the live drafts in Las Vegas in a year in which I could not go.
He called me and told me about his team and how he thought it was pretty good.
But, he said his bargain of the week came not at our draft tables, but at a sports book.
He had received odds of 75-1 that a hitter would lead his league in home runs.
He put down $200 and told me about his good chances of cashing $15,000.
He had bet on Heyward.

I can't even imagine the odds on him for next year!

[marknym]

I highly respect an NFBC veteran whose name I will leave out of this story....

He made it to the live drafts in Las Vegas in a year in which I could not go.
He called me and told me about his team and how he thought it was pretty good.
But, he said his bargain of the week came not at our draft tables, but at a sports book.
He had received odds of 75-1 that a hitter would lead his league in home runs.
He put down $200 and told me about his good chances of cashing $15,000.
He had bet on Heyward.

I can't even imagine the odds on him for next year!

Ha. Heyward, if nothing else, has always had a faithful fan club. You'd have to think that next year, he won't even have that.

[Bronx Yankees]

Went for 13/23 last year with a .293 BA. Hits way too many GB to be a huge HR threat, but you'd think moving from StL to Wrigley would help. Not sure how you play in that ballpark, on that team, hitting around guys like Rizzo, Bryant, Fowler, Russell, Zobrist, etc., and have a puny 6/8 line with only 48 runs and 35 RBI heading into September. Guy is a legitimate defensive stud in RF but has regressed big time offensively. There will be those who say the pressure of the big contract got to him and he'll bounce back next year. All I can say is that I'm not going to be "that guy" that jumps on him in Round 10 or 12 or even 15.

Mike

[NorCalAtlFan]

heyward, oye veh. i believed in him and certainly thought he would do well in wrigley. i'm glad he is remiss from all(let me count, 20ish) teams, excepting 1 dc.

as a braves fan, you could tell fairly early that freeman was the more well rounded hitter, but never did i think heyward would be rey ordonez of RF. and as much as i hate the mutts, that may be a disservice to ordonez.

we'll know soon in the pre mature where he stands. i think there is a good chance he goes undrafted....

[Edwards Kings]

Heyward will be my NUMBER ONE rebound VALUE pick next year!

[headhunters]

well- it is official- heyward will be on either dan or brains premature team next year. if ANYONE writes this guy was playing through an injury I will be disappointed on many fronts. the cubs have about 20 outfielders- so he did not need to play. pressure from 175million? I just can't even go there. things we will NEVER see:' hey I signed for a lot of $ and I stunk- I am giving it back to the fans, to charity, to the team".

[NorCalAtlFan]

mark, i can assure you he won't be on my team. i can't speak for dan however

[DOUGHBOYS]

You know how most left handed batters have a smooth swing?
How they look majestic?
Heyward is not that guy.
Heyward's swing is like Trump or Hillary on tv. Hard to watch.
I acknowledge that he is an above average right fielder, but who starts right fielders because of their glove?
At the same time, I haven't completely written him off. There was talent there a few years ago.
I don't know what happened to it, and Hell, I don't think he even knows what happened to it.
When drafting him, it'll be up to us whether his 'skills' are latent or dormant.
Somebody will draft him.
Sometimes I'm a draft whore. I'll do anybody at my price.

Heyward is not alone.
Here are some other underperforming outfielders who went in the top 10 rounds of the Pre-Mature E-Draftulation League.

Heyward 6-2
McCutchen 1-15
CarGomez 5-4
Ellsbury 6-3
Puig 6-12
Gardner 8-14

Others like Dee Gordon and Corey Dickerson had other reasons for not performing.
Not to mention (but I'm about to) the injuries that always befall this league.
Schwarber, Pollock, Brantley, Choo, Stanton, and JD Martinez all causing misery for their owners.
A tough league to be sure.

GUARANTEED.
It is guaranteed that some self-proclaimed expert or some flawed 'intelligent sounding' radioite will call him a 'value pick' next year. Just because he'll be drafted in a lower round.
I will give that sombitch a mental swirlie.

[Edwards Kings]

well- it is official- heyward will be on either dan or brains premature team next year. if ANYONE writes this guy was playing through an injury I will be disappointed on many fronts. the cubs have about 20 outfielders- so he did not need to play. pressure from 175million? I just can't even go there. things we will NEVER see:' hey I signed for a lot of $ and I stunk- I am giving it back to the fans, to charity, to the team".

Ray Goff gave the Denver Bronco's back some money in 1977 when it was obvious he wouldn't make the team...$1,000 whole dollars! Does that count?

Chris Borland received a $617,436 signing bonus when he inked a four-year rookie deal with the Niners coming out of college. He retired and returned about $460,000 to the team since he did not play the full four years.

[Edwards Kings]

No, he hasn't been good and I do suspect some sort of injury. And he is one year removed from the .293 BA and 23 SB. He just turned 27. The best you will probably project is 15 HR, but if he hit 25 you really shouldn't be surprised (a small uptick in flyball rate will do that). Yup. I am as far as you can get from an expert, but I will take a flyer if the price is right. A good spring will cure most perceived ills anyway.

A roll of the dice? You betcha!

[NorCalAtlFan]

i only lost 2 players to season long injuries before the season started this year. an improvement for sure