10-Team Head-to-Head Fantasy Baseball Squad

CABRERA'S CERVEZAS

C - Brian McCann
1B - Adrian Gonzalez (received in deal for Robinson Cano)
2B - Dustin Pedroia
SS - Omar Infante
3B - Alex Rodriguez
OF - Shane Victorino
OF - Shin-Soo Choo
OF - Mike Stanton
Util - Vlad Guerrero
BN - Ike Davis
BN - Colby Rasmus
BN - Mike Aviles

SP - Ubaldo Jimenez
SP - Francisco Liriano
RP - Matt Thornton
RP - Fernando Rodney
SP - Dan Haren
SP - Clay Buchholz
SP - Ricky Nolasco
SP - Michael Pineda
SP - Kyle McClellan


Some things pop out right away...
1. I said F(orget) closers. I was still busy filling my lineup out when the good ones started to go. Heck, Dennis Egan and Mike Iannotto didn't even have one on their rosters at the end of last season. I mean it is only one stat. I usually like closers, but the process of the draft didn't allow it. From what I read Thornton is doing well, but Rodney has been shaky. What else is new?

2. Although SS is probably my weakest position, Infante is pretty solid. He hit .321 in 134 games last year, climbing up from .305 and .293 the two years before. So far he has been batting either second or third in front of HanRam. I'll take that in the 15th round.

3. OF is a little weak as well. I like Choo and Vlad in Baltimore despite his age. Stanton will be the question mark. I'm looking for power out of him though, which should come. Choo and Victorino will be my speed.


Other than the obvious, I feel like I did pretty well for the 5th pick. Then again, what do you think I was going to say - that I sucked?
I wanted Miggy, however like many of my targets in this draft, he went a pick or two before more. And it was auto-drafted. I decided to go with the hands-down best 2B rather than take a 1B or an OF - both of which are rather deep. Cano may seem early for the 5th pick, but I knew he wasn't going to make it back to me.
Then, as much as it burned my blood, I took A-Rod in the second round. He was the best bat available at a scarce position. Hopefully his hip can hold up. If not, he should try injecting some of his $25M into his blood stream. I heard it worked for Magic Johnson.
The third round is when Lou Peon and I set a new fantasy record for 'earliest trade of the season' after I noticed Pedroia was still on the board. I also noticed that zero good 1Bs were still on the board. With my quick goat thinking, I offered Cano for A-Gon. Lou jumped all over it like I was dangling a burrito supreme over a bed of hot wings. And then proceeded to throw it all up in a hotel sink hours before he had to catch a flight back to Virginia.
From there I went Choo (needed an OF - best available), McCann (last of the top tier C) and then started my staff with Jimenez in the 6th. By then it was either him, Hamels or Greinke. Looking back on the draft results, Cliff Lee was the first pitcher taken at 18. Lincecum and Halladay followed immediately after. I certainly would have thought Halladay would have been the first arm off the board.
Victorino was my 7th pick, followed by Liriano and Haren - both quality No. 1's in my mind. They aren't studs, but I think they are in the second tier of pitchers.
I then rounded out the starting squad with Stanton, Buchholz (CY Young candidate last year), Guerrero and Rasmus.
The last handful of picks: Thornton (first closer in round 14 - haha!), Infante (starting SS), Davis (Util), Pineda, Rodney, Nolasco (185th pick - great value), McClellan and Aviles.
Those who don't know of Pineda and McClellan will hear of them shortly.  Pineda has Felix-Hernandez-like stuff. However, he is a rookie and I usually don't like to trust rookie pitchers. Buuuut I'm going to go with my instincts on this one. McClellan has been a reliever for the last few years, but earned a spot (4-0, 0.78 ERA) in the rotation with the loss of Wainwright. Even though it is only spring training, I figured the risk-reward was high enough at the 196th pick.

Let me know what you think of my team. Please, tell me how much better it is than yours.