Today's Fantasy Rx

American League Second Basemen without Positive Draft Value

Quick Key to the tables:
AB = At-bats.  H = Hits.  BA = Batting Average.  HR= Home Runs.
RBI = Runs Batted In.  SB = Stolen Bases.  R = Runs.  B = Bats.  T = Throws.
Pos = Position qualification based on 20 appearances or max. # of games in 2004.
Age = Player's Age as of October 1, 2004.
4x4 = BA, HR, RBI, and SB in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
5x5 = BA, HR, RBI, SB, and R in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
RAR = Runs Above Replacement; Adjusted RAR = RAR modified to
consider a player's 2004 defensive rating in Scoresheet fantasy baseball.

Players are ranked in order from the highest draft value in a 4x4 league to the lowest. As the majority of fantasy leagues allow you to keep anyone traded to the other league, all players are listed in the league where they began the season.

21.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Mark McLemore		250	62	.248	2	21	0	29	23
OAK Athletics		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 39	B:S    T:R	-1		0		0.2		-2

The long-time utilityman departs the game after spending nearly two decades in the majors. He compiled a solid .349 OBP in more than six thousand at-bats, and thanks to excellent plate discipline, McLemore even slightly exceeded that mark in his final season. Although he never starred, McLemore also emerged as an important fantasy contributor during the mid-'90s with Baltimore and Texas, and then again with Seattle at the beginning of this decade. He only missed positive value this year due to the final disappearance of his formerly very solid speed skills.

22.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Rey Sanchez		285	70	.246	2	26	0	23	2
TB Devil Rays		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 36	B:R    T:R	-1		0		-5.9		-4.5

While I still view Sanchez as a useful big leaguer since his plus range helps rebuilding teams develop young pitchers, he probably no longer fits as more than a defensive replacement in the majors. He absolutely does not belong on any roto team since his weak plate discipline makes him a high BA risk with essentially no quantitative potential.

23.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Alex Prieto		32	8	.250	1	4	0	4	2
MIN Twins		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 28	B:R    T:R	-1		-1		-0.3		-0.3

Prieto appears likely to remain in the upper levels of the Minnesota indefinitely, briefing joining the Twins each season as an injury replacement. His .249/.316/.356 with a 29:52 BB:K over 289 AB for AAA Rochester(IL) indicates minimal upside, so while his ability to cover every infield position makes him useful as organization filler, he doesn't belong on any fantasy team.

24.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Wilton Guerrero		32	7	.219	0	1	1	7	2
KC Royals		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 29	B:S    T:R	-1		-1		-1.6		-1.6

While compiling a .326/.347/.436 performance in 282 AB for AAA Omaha(PCL) earned Guerrero another shot in the majors when the Royals desperately needed infield help, his continued ineffectiveness against big league pitching leaves him with little value despite retaining decent speed skills. I see little reason to consider Guerrero for your team in any league.

25.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Manny Alexander		21	5	.238	0	3	0	3	2
TEX Rangers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 33	B:R    T:R	-1		-2		-0.5		-0.5

Re-signing with the Rangers on a minor league deal gives Alexander another chance to build on the respectable .285/.335/.471 performance in 361 AB for AAA Oklahoma(PCL) he managed last year. Of course, sacrificing speed for power didn't result in significant improvement of his big league numbers, and considering Alexander hadn't appeared in the majors since 2000, he shouldn't see more than a couple dozen at-bats outside of the minors any time soon.

26.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Mickey Lopez		4	1	.250	0	0	0	1	2
SEA Mariners		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 30	B:S    T:R	-1		-2		0		0

Please refer to our Post-2004 Prospect Review: Seattle for my comments on Lopez.

27.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Desi Relaford		380	84	.221	6	34	5	45	23O
KC Royals		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 31	B:S    T:R	-1		0		-11.9		-12.6

A strained hamstring in the first week of the season barely allowed Relaford to improve on the .207/.279/.293 he posted in the second half of 2003. He only excelled during August with an unexpected .356/.417/.466 performance, failing to break a .650 OPS in any other month. Of course, he still somehow managed a .341 OBP against southpaws, so signing with the Rockies gives him an excellent chance to emerge as the platoon partner for Aaron Miles. With good plate discipline, moderate power potential, latent speed skills, and even the strong possibility of qualifying at a fourth position, Relaford should exceed Luis A. Gonzalez's $9 performance as Colorado's primary reserve infielder, making him a safe selection anywhere in single digits.

28.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Donnie Murphy		27	5	.185	0	3	1	1	2
KC Royals		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 21	B:R    T:R	-1		-2		-1.7		-1.7

Please refer to our Post-2004 Prospect Review: Kansas City for my comments on Murphy.

29.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Fernando Vina		115	26	.226	0	7	2	21	2
DET Tigers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 35	B:L    T:R	-1		-1		-4.6		-4.6

The combination of a hamstring problem, torn knee tendon, and patella tendonitis ended Vina's season after a poor April performance. Omar Infante's improvement also should relegate Vina to a reserve role whenever he returns, so despite decent SB upside, the overall decline in Vina's output and health over the past two years makes him too risky to employ as anything more than roster filler.

30.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Homer Bush		7	0	.000	0	0	1	2	2
NY Yankees		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 31	B:R    T:R	-2		-2		-1		-1

Unretiring to post a .293/.329/.384 performance in 232 AB for AAA Columbus(IL) resulted in a brief mid-season promotion for Bush. Of course, his failure to contribute anything to the Yankees easily could force him back out of baseball, and without noticeable speed skills or any likelihood of holding a decent BA, Bush won't help MLB or fantasy teams.

31.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Brandon Phillips		22	4	.182	0	1	0	1	2
CLE Indians		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 23	B:R    T:R	-2		-2		-2		-2

The Indians wisely allowed Phillips to rebound form his awful 2003 performance in the minors, yet even after a strong start, Cleveland severely erred by retaining Ron Belliard rather than deal Belliard and give Phillips another chance. Now Phillips enters spring training with little hope of earning a roster spot unless he somehow beats out Jhonny Peralta for the shortstop job, a rather unlikely outcome considering Peralta merited more time at shortstop for AAA Buffalo(IL) than Phillips. At least a .303/.363/.430 performance with 34 2B, 8 HR, a 14/25 SB%, and a 44:56 BB:K in 521 AB for the Bisons indicates Phillips belongs in the majors, but I now expect him to need a change of scenery to somewhere like Kansas City before he finally emerges as a quality regular.

32.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Enrique Wilson		240	51	.213	6	31	1	19	2
NY Yankees		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 31	B:S    T:R	-2		-2		-8.7		-10

New York finally let Wilson depart this winter after apparently realizing that giving a declining infielder with a .579 OPS an average of an at-bat per game didn't contribute to the team's success. While Wilson at least still owns decent plate discipline, his awful performance during his peak years since departing Pittsburgh suggests he'll never emerge as a useful player in any league. Do not risk rostering Wilson unless you see him unexpectedly holding a respectable BA.

33.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Ryan Raburn		29	4	.138	0	1	1	4	2
DET Tigers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 23	B:R    T:R	-2		-2		-2.6		-2.6

Please refer to our Post-2004 Prospect Review: Detroit for my comments on Raburn.

34.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Geoff Blum		339	73	.215	8	35	2	38	23
TB Devil Rays		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 31	B:L    T:R	-2		-1		-9.1		-9.8

Acquiring Blum for Brandon Backe last winter may haunt the Rays for years, especially after they cut the veteran infielder in November. However, Blum's poor performance last season wasn't supported by any skill degradation, and his .288/.360/.475 line in 80 at-bats against left-handed pitchers suggest that the Padres grabbed a bargain by signing Blum as a potential platoon partner for Sean Burroughs or Ryan Klesko. I still don't see sufficient upside here to warrant more than a Dollar Days' grab, but Blum isn't a terrible pickup, especially considering his intriguing position flexibility.

35.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Mendy Lopez		38	4	.105	1	4	0	4	2
KC Royals		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 29	B:R    T:R	-3		-3		-3.7		-3.7

Posting an awful .393 OPS over the first few weeks of the season unsurprisingly resulted in Lopez's demotion to AAA Omaha(PCL). However, despite his excellent .293/.341/.675 performance in 123 AB for Omaha, Kansas City sold Lopez's contract to Korea's Samsung Lions rather than give him another opportunity, wasting a needed resource and potentially ruining Lopez's best chance to emerge as a useful big leaguer. Unfortunately, despite the upside suggested by his minor league numbers, Lopez simply won't warrant any fantasy consideration even if he returns to the majors relatively soon.

'04 Second Basemen Week continues tomorrow, featuring Minor League Free Agent and AAA/AA Second Basemen in the American League.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Landing in Colorado makes Relaford a good buy, and Brandon Phillips remains quite young and soon should emerge as a capable fantasy contributor. However, unless you see one of this duo available at an obvious bargain, drafting anyone else discussed above looks like an unnecessary risk.