Today's Fantasy Rx

National 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.

32.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Danny Garcia		138	32	.232	3	17	3	23	2
NY Mets		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 24	B:R    T:R	0		0		-0.7		-0.7

The emergence of Jeff Keppinger as a viable infield option pushes Garcia down to no higher than fourth on the Mets' infield depth chart. His .260/.322/.351 performance with a 15:35 BB:K and a 9/14 SB% in 242 AB for AAA Norfolk(IL) impressed no one. A weak contact rate then limited his effectiveness in the majors. Of course, his .371 OBP, supported by a 4.32 #P/PA and .16 walk rate, makes Garcia mildly intriguing in sim leagues, but a reverse platoon split conversely renders him too much of a gamble for most owners.

33.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Henry Mateo		44	12	.273	0	0	2	3	2
MON Expos		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 27	B:S    T:R	-1		-1		-2.6		-2.6

September surgery to repair a torn labrum should allow Mateo to recover by spring training. He only needs to withstand a challenge from Brendan Harris to remain on Washington's bench. If he takes advantage of his strong speed skills, Mateo could approach double-digit value, but until he demonstrates some semblance of his SB effectiveness from 2003, don't treat him as anything more than roster filler.

34.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Brian Dallimore		43	12	.279	1	7	0	8	2
SF Giants		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 30	B:R    T:R	-1		-1		0		0

Please refer to our Post-2004 Prospect Review: San Francisco for my comments on Dallimore.

35.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Antonio Perez		13	3	.231	0	0	1	5	2
LA Dodgers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 24	B:R    T:R	-2		-2		-0.7		-0.7

A .296/.379/.511 performance with 22 HR, 88 RBI, 92 R, 22/34 SB%, and a 61:87 BB:K positions Perez very nicely to win a job with Los Angeles this year. He even could join Jose Valentin in a third base platoon. I see a lot to like in his patience and power potential. Even if Perez spends the season as a reserve, the Dodgers' likely fifth infielder stands a great chance of emerging as the long-term second base starter. A late-round pick at least will net you decent mid-season trade bait to rebuilding teams.

36.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Abraham O. Nunez		182	43	.236	2	13	1	17	2
PIT Pirates		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 28	B:S    T:R	-2		-2		-9		-8.3

Pittsburgh finally non-tendered Nunez, who never posted the averages required to compensate for his limited power. While his respectable patience indicated a potential breakout after 2002, keeping him last winter cost the club Chris Shelton, a decision that will haunt the Pirates for many years. Moving to the Cardinals should result in no less than several weeks in the majors for Nunez, but he simply offers no fantasy upside worth considering in any standard league due to his BA downside.

37.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Jose Flores		4	1	.250	0	0	0	0	23
LA Dodgers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 31	B:R    T:R	-2		-2		-0.1		-0.1

Please refer to our Post-2004 Prospect Review: Los Angeles for my comments on Flores.

38.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Bo Hart		13	2	.154	0	2	0	0	2
STL Cardinals		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 28	B:R    T:R	-2		-3		-1.5		-1.5

Hart spent almost all season in the minors only a year after spending a couple months as the Cardinals' starting second baseman. While minor improvement in his patience resulted in a .299/.350/.440 performance in 445 AB, he still owns few skills that add value to the St. Louis bench. Rule 5 pick Hector Luna appears likely to remain the primary backup middle infielder, relegating Hart to a minimal role even if he breaks camp in the majors.

39.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Joe Thurston		17	3	.176	0	1	0	1	2
LA Dodgers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 25	B:L    T:R	-2		-3		-1.3		-1.3

Please refer to our Post-2004 Prospect Review: Los Angeles for my comments on Thurston.

40.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Ricky Gutierrez		103	22	.214	0	8	1	8	2
NYM/BOS		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 34	B:R    T:R	-3		-3		-6.9		-6.9

With an OPS drop for the fourth straight season, meager overall skills and negligible upside, even offering Gutierrez an NRI makes little sense. Aging questionable defenders with no power potential and obvious BA downside merit no bids in any league.

41.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Chris Burke		17	1	.059	0	0	0	2	2
HOU Astros		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 24	B:R    T:R	-3		-4		-2.5		-2.5

Please refer to our Post-2004 Prospect Review: Houston for my comments on Burke.

42.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Damian Jackson		30	3	.100	1	3	0	2	2
CHC/KC		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 31	B:R    T:R	-4		-4		-3		-3

Simply awful numbers in limited playing time will cause most owners to ignore Jackson, who probably will head back to the minors after rejoining the Padres. However, the journeyman infielder also managed a .294/.399/.523 performance with 11 HR, a 15/18 SB%, and a 41:56 BB:K in 262 AB between AAA Iowa(PCL) and AAA Omaha(PCL). Jackson only needs regular at-bats as a reserve to approach double-digit value thanks to his perfectly respectable speed skills, but despite these intriguing skills, I won't recommend him until he earns a steady bench job somewhere in the majors.

43.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Brendan Harris		59	10	.169	1	3	0	4	2
CHC/MON		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 24	B:R    T:R	-4		-4		-5		-5.5

Please refer to our Post-2004 Prospect Review: Montreal for my comments on Harris.

44.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Andy Fox		55	5	.091	1	1	0	4	2
MON/TEX		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 33	B:L    T:R	-6		-5		-7.7		-7.7

Fox provided an abysmal .093/.093/.163 "contribution" in 43 at-bats in return for Montreal's $50K expenditure to grab him as a Rule 5 pick. The veteran thoroughly earned his July release, but a mild rebound for AAA Oklahoma(PCL), including a .304/.392/.408 performance in 128 AB, suggests Fox still will receive regular consideration as no worse than AAAA backup. Of course, his lack of a current team and horrible big league stats over the last two years obviously render Fox worthless to all fantasy teams unless he somehow starts hinting at a rebound towards his 2002 stats.

'04 Second Basemen Week concludes tomorrow, featuring Minor League Free Agent and AAA/AA Second basemen in the National League.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Only significant injuries will create playing time for most of the players discussed above. Chris Burke looks like the best target, followed loosely by Antonio Perez, Brendan Harris, Henry Mateo, and then Danny Garcia. However, investing more than Dollar Days' bids here in anyone save Burke and maybe Perez is a very risky move I can't advise.