The owners filled out their rosters with youngsters and veterans, such as Twins 1B Joe Mauer, alike
The second half of the draft was more focused on filling out rosters and planning for the future. As this is a dynasty league, owners needed to remember that they were not just planning for 2015 but for the next five to ten years. There were some big-name prospects selected in the first half of the draft, but those were mainly players that were closer to the majors, or had a much higher ceiling. Prospects picked in the second half were mainly players that owners will have to be patient with and utilize in 2016 and beyond. Remember, this is a 12 team, 5 X 5 league where saves were replaced with saves + holds.
Here are the picks from rounds 21 through 26, along with analysis of each round.
ROUND 21 (John Aubin)
1. Marcus Stroman (TOR-SP/RP) Winston-Salem Dash
2. Steve Pearce (BAL-1B/OF) Lakewood BlueClaws
3. Chris Owings (ARI-2B/SS) Portland Sea Dogs
4. Maikel Franco (PHI-3B) Bakersfield Blaze
5. Carlos Martinez (STL-SP/RP) Sacramento RiverCats
6. Dylan Bundy (BAL-RP) Akron Rubber Ducks
7. Matt Cain (SF-SP) Modesto Nuts
8. Scott Kazmir (OAK-SP) Durham Bulls
9. Jake McGee (TB-RP) Albuquerque Isotopes
10. Tanner Roark (WAS-SP) South Shore Sox
11. Zack Wheeler (NYM-SP) SWB Railriders
12. Joaquín Benoit (SD-RP) Beloit Snappers
Summary: This round was used by many teams for 2016. A couple pitchers who are out for the year got drafted to stash for next year’s roster in Marcus Stroman and Zach Wheeler. The round was also used to draft players with upside, with six guys taken that may not make an impact this year but will in the future.
Sleeper: Dylan Bundy will be starting the year in the minors, and will be filling one of Akron’s NA spots on his roster. But Bundy should get called up this year, and could make an impact. He has a great future and could be the Orioles’ ace for years. In round 21, Bundy is a good risk.
Bust: Maikel Franco is one of Philadelphia’s top prospects. So far Franco has yet to prove he can hit in the majors. He struggled in 16 games last September, and has had a rough spring at the plate. Franco still has potential to break out, but has yet to show he can do it at the major league level.
ROUND 22 (Rob Klein)
1. Nick Castellanos (DET-3B) Beloit Snappers
2. Alcides Escobar(KC-SS) SWB Railriders
3. Justin Morneau(COL-1B) South Shore Sox
4. Archie Bradley (ARI-SP) Albuquerque Isotopes
5. Matt Moore (TB-SP) Durham Bulls
6. Kennys Vargas(MIN-1B) Modesto Nuts
7. Mike Zunino (SEA-C) Akron Rubber Ducks
8. Khris Davis (MIL-OF) Sacramento RiverCats
9. Brandon Finnegan(KC-RP) Bakersfield Blaze
10. Francisco Rodríguez(MIL-RP) Portland Sea Dogs
11. Tyler Clippard(OAK-RP) Lakewood BlueClaws
12. J.P. Crawford(PHI-SS) Winston-Salem Dash
Summary: In round 22 most teams are trolling through their cheat sheets, looking for that name or prospect that happened to slip through the cracks. There wasn’t really any rhyme or reason to this round as every pick took a different tone. If I were to pick out a couple themes, remembering this is a keeper draft, it’s that first and second year prospect-types in Castellanos, Bradley and Crawford going alongside older players such as Justin Morneau and Francisco Rodriguez.
Sleeper: For those of you who like to wait on a closer, Francisco Rodriguez, who will likely close 40-plus games for the Brewers this season, is a steal at pick 262. Are Cody Allen and Trevor Rosenthal, who went in round 10, really 12 rounds better then Rodriguez, even in a dynasty draft? Rodriguez also pitches for a contending team in the Brewers, and will get plenty of save opportunities.
Bust: I don’t think there are busts in the 22nd round, but to pick somebody I’d go with Brandon Finnegan at pick 261. When looking at prospects one of the things to examine is does this person have a legitimate spot on the team in the near future? The Royals rode their bullpen to the World Series last season, and have eyes on returning, which means their back three of Holland, Davis and Herrera aren’t going anywhere barring injury.
ROUND 23 (Charlie Finn)
1. Jesse Hahn (Oak-SP) Winston-Salem Dash
2. Jonathan Papelbon (Phi-RP) Lakewood Blue Claws
3. Drew Pomeranz (Oak-SP/RP) Portland Sea Dogs
4. Neftali Feliz (Tex-RP) Bakersfield Blaze
5. Joakim Soria (Det-RP) Sacramento River Cats
6. Jon Singleton (Hou-1B) Akron Rubberducks
7. Kevin Quackenbush (SD-RP) Modesto Nuts
8. Pedro Alvarez (Pit-1B/3B) Durham Bulls
9. Mike Minor (Atl-SP) Albuquerque Isotopes
10. Kyle Lohse (Mil-SP) South Shore Sox
11. Eduardo Rodríguez (Bos-SP) SWB RailRiders
12. Michael Cuddyer (NYM-1B/OF) Beloit Snappers
Summary: Round 24 leaves just three rounds left for teams to round out there roster and think about Week 1. Of the twelve picks in the round nine were pitchers. Teams waited until late in the draft to grab their back-end pitchers.
Sleeper: My favorite pick in round 23 would be relief pitcher Kevin Quackenbush. In round 23 you are looking for pure value in your bullpen and that was found in a 26-year-old reliever who will be pitching for a much improved and solid team in the San Diego Padres. Pitching with a lead should be something Quackenbush will get used to in 2015.
Bust: It is very hard to target anyone as a “bust” in round 23, but Jonathan Papelbon is as close as I can come. Papelbon is on a team in disarray. While there is the potential of a trade, his hefty contract usually voids any extended negotiations. Papelbon would perform better on a team that could hand him the ball with a lead, but that will not come often in Philadelphia.
ROUND 24 (Jeff Krisko)
1. John Lackey (STL-SP) Beloit Snappers
2. Jenrry Mejia (NYM-SP, RP) SWB Railriders
3. Mike Napoli (BOS-1B) South Shore Sox
4. Micah Johnson (CHW-2B) Albuquerque Isotopes
5. Denard Span (WSH-OF) Durham Bulls
6. Alex Rios (KC-OF) Modesto Nuts
7. David Dahl (COL-OF) Akron Rubber Ducks
8. Marcus Semien (OAK-2B/3B) Sacramento RiverCats
9. Santiago Casilla (SF-RP) Bakersfield Blaze
10. Chase Headley (NYY-1B/3B) Portland Sea Dogs
11. Austin Meadows (PIT-OF) Lakewood BlueClaws
12. Jung-Ho Kang (PIT-SS) Winston-Salem Dash
Summary: At this point in the draft, it was mostly back-of-rotation and bench players to fill out the rosters. All the top prospects are off the board, but good value was still to be had here. Meadows is a top-10 outfield prospect, but may still be a few years away. The round was mostly unimpressive but solid veterans to hold down the fort while the previously drafted prospects gestate in the minors.
Sleeper: Taking Denard Span carries risk, since he currently has no timetable for his return. Luckily, he can be safely stashed in a DL slot until he’s healthy. Last season he hit .300 in an age where that is becoming rarer and rarer, and stole 31 bases. While his BABIP shows a batting average regression, and he’ll steal fewer bases than he did in 2014, taking Span in the 24th round represents solid roster construction, and has potential to far outpace his draft pick in 2015.
Bust: It’s hard to pick a bust pick in the 24th round, but John Lackey looked bad in his few starts with the Cardinals last year, and that was after a few unspectacular years in Boston. In round 24, you’re merely looking to fill out your roster, but a pick like Lackey is wasted, as in a 12-team league, his fantasy roster slot will likely go to someone else within 3 or 4 starts.
ROUND 25 (Chris Zolli)
1. Brett Cecil (TOR- RP) Winston-Salem Dash
2. Robert Stephenson (CIN-SP) Lakewood Blue Claws
3. Michael Morse (MIA-1B/OF) Portland Sea Dogs
4. Yusmeiro Petit (SF-SP/RP) Bakersfield Blake
5. Mark Appel (HOU-SP) Sacramento RiverCats
6. Adam Lind (MIL-1B) Akron Rubber Ducks
7. Aramis Ramirez (MIL-3B) Modesto Nuts
8. Jhonny Peralta (STL-SS) Durham Bulls
9. Jon Gray (COL-SP) Alburquerque Isotopes
10. LaTroy Hawkins (COL-RP) South Shore Sox
11. Kyle Hendricks (CHC-SP) SWB Railriders
12. Chris Tillman (BAL-SP) Beloit Snappers
Summary: This is where teams really start checking boxes and the draft loses its flavor a bit, as owners are focusing on filling a lineup more than obtaining talent. There were a couple big name prospects drafted at this point, and it was shrewd for the owners to wait until the 25th round for them.
Sleeper: Relief pitchers are very tough positions to fill for fantasy purposes because you do not want to pick one too early, but you do not want to get stuck scrambling. Winston-Salem made a great pick with Brett Cecil in the 25th round. The Blue Jays have been a closer away from being elite for the past three seasons, and Cecil has an opportunity to be that finisher in Toronto. His walk rate, 3.9 per nine over the past two seasons, leaves a lot to be desired, but he has struck out 11.5 per nine since becoming a reliever full-time in 2013, and has a 2.63 FIP with a 1.23 WHIP. He will turn 29 this year, and there is no one pressuring him for the closer’s job in Toronto, especially since the Blue Jays will need Aaron Sanchez in the rotation. He could be a fringe top-ten closer with 35 or more saves+holds, and projects well for the future.
Bust: There is one simple rule that should be held in a dynasty league, never draft a player who says they are only playing one more season unless you feel that their one season will be truly outstanding. Modesto and South Shore both decided to brake that rule by drafting Aramis Ramirez and LaTroy Hawkins. Busts and sleepers are all relative. It does not mean the player will be good or bad, just that they are valuable or not valuable. LaTroy Hawkins and Aramis Ramirez are sunk costs. If Hawkins saves 40 games this year for the Rockies with a sub-3 ERA or Ramirez hits 35 home runs, that is all these owners can get. Ramirez is a bit more excusable, as he can fill a relatively shallow position admirably, but South Shore’s pick was more confusing. There were other prospects that he could have drafted and then picked up another RP on the waiver wire, especially since he did not particularly need a closer. For Hawkins to have value worthy of a draft pick, he needs to be a top-five RP in 2015.
ROUND 26 (Dale Redman)
1. Anthony Gose (DET-OF) Beloit Snappers
2. Tony Watson (PIT-RP) SWB RailRiders
3. Joe Mauer (MIN-1B) South Shore Sox
4. Tim Anderson (CHW-SS) Albuquerque Isotopes
5. Jason Hammel (CHC-SP) Durham Bulls
6. Jorge Alfaro (TEX-C) Modesto Nuts
7. D.J. Peterson (SEA-3B) Akron Rubber Ducks
8. Jameson Taillon (PIT-SP) Sacramento River Cats
9. Jurickson Profar (TEX-2B/SS) Bakersfield Blaze
10. Hunter Harvey (BAL-SP) Portland Sea Dogs
11. Alex Jackson (SEA-OF) Lakewood Blue Claws
12. Joe Smith (LAA-RP) Winston-Salem Dash
Summary: The final draft choices usually do not last long on a roster, so it was no surprise that most teams decided to go away from veterans and turn to prospects that they could hide in a N/A or DL slot.
Sleeper: How far the mighty have fallen. Joe Mauer was once a top-50 overall option, but moving to a deep first base position has sapped most of his value. With that said, grabbing a player who can threaten .300 while getting over 550 at-bats with your final draft pick is a worthwhile gamble. No longer a fantasy superstar, Mauer can still earn his roster spot and be a solid fantasy contributor for a few more years.
Bust: It is really just nit-picking, but I do not see a need for Joe Smith to be on anyone’s roster. He is a solid setup man who should get some holds, but I do not see any real upside. There are better potential closing options and setup men (i.e., Sergio Romo, Pat Neshek, Darren O’Day) available on the wire that I would take over Smith.
