The Winter Meetings and Fantasy Baseball
Here’s why the MLB winter meetings are an amazing event unique to the sports world: It’s the only time that any of the professional sports mimic a fantasy league. During the winter meetings 30 GMs continuously meet to talk about players and convince each other to accept one-sided trades. This year numerous GMs even filled the roles of token keeper league fantasy team owners.
The first place guy who overvalues his role players and won’t trade them to win another
championship—Theo Epstein
Has Theo lost his mind? He really isn’t willing to give up both Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury to get Johan Santana? He doesn’t think the best pitcher in baseball is worth a soft tossing lefty and speedy lead-off hitter—two types of players the minor leagues are overflowing with? I know he’s excited that Lester had a good September and Ellsbury played four good games in the playoffs, but those guys are as replaceable as middle relievers. Even the Pirates have an abundance of speedy center fielders and soft tossing lefties. Can you really say that Lester and Ellsbury are that much better than Nyjer Morgan and Paul Maholm. The Red Sox brass can convince themselves that their two guys are vastly superior, but it’s just not true. Lester can’t touch 90 mph and he walks a hitter every two innings. Ellsbury has no power. Neither are top prospects and both should already be in Minnesota.
Last place guy who jumps on all the highly rated but disappointing players who hit the waiver wire—Jim Bowden
You know the guy who picked up Morgan Ensberg and Barry Zito the second they were cut last year? That’s Jim Bowden. With little left to lose the Nats GM decided to take a chance on both Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge. It is possible both players will turn it around become big contributors. More likely, there’s a reason their original owners were willing to give up on them.
The middle of pack guy who panics and gives up too much for an overvalued past-his-prime player—Ned Colletti
You know the fantasy baseball owner who was still willing to trade C.C. Sabathia or Chris Young for Mark Prior even when it was clear Prior was finished? That’s Colletti. Andruw Jones just hit .226 in his contract year. He’s fat, he’s rich, he’s lazy, and he’s not returning to his 2003 form (which was also overrated).
The guy who mortgages everything to win now—Dave Dombrowski
To get Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis (as well as Edgar Renteria) Dombrowski gave up the future of the franchise. Anything less than a World Series title (or a long term deal from Miguel Cabrera) will make these moves a waste. The result of this trade will completely dictate how Dombrowski’s tenure is remembered.
The stubborn bottom feeding guy who wants the whole farm for his one stud—Bill Smith & Andy McPhail
I actually think both these guys did the right thing in holding on the Johan Santana and Erik Bedard. Both of them are in strong negotiating positions and neither were offered a great deal. Still, you know the teams at the top of the league (Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers) absolutely resent this.
2 Comments »
Andrew Patrick on 09 Dec 2007 at 8:13 pm #
Brian Sabean definitely deserves a place among “The Stubborn bottom feeding guy who wants the whole farm for his one stud.” Though I don’t think he should trade Lincecum for Rios, I get the sinking feeling that the Giants will roll into 2008 with an identical version of their 2007 lineup minus Barry.
Scott on 09 Dec 2007 at 9:20 pm #
I wish Brian Sabean was a “Stubborn bottom feeding guy who wants the whole farm for his one stud”. It’d idiotic that he’s even thinking of trading Lincecum for Rios, because there is no way Rios is replacing Bonds’s production on offense and the pitching staff would be considerably worse without Lincecum. Sabean should be holding out for multiple young position players, not one. If he can’t, then he should be stubborn, and I would think that’s a good quality.