Mound Talk

First Basemen

Every year I struggle to find a first baseman that will put up good numbers but won’t cost me a top draft pick. I look for sleepers and rookies, and, 2006 not withstanding, I always seem to fail. This is partially due to the fact that many first baseman only become first baseman as a result of not being able to play elsewhere defensively. It is, therefore, a position that is largely dominated by great fantasy players (Pujols, Howard, Ortiz, Konerko, Thome, etc) or filled with mediocre players who will put your team behind the 8-bal from the get-go (Overbay, LaRoche, Sexson, etc). That being said, there is one player to keep an eye on for your 2007 draft and another to keep an eye on for later. In both cases, it is imperative to hedge your bet by selecting someone else, perhaps a Lyle Overbay, just in case.

James Loney doesn’t have a place to play in Los Angeles. The Dodgers resigned Nomar Garciaparra this off season leaving Loney homeless. There isn’t too much else to say but he’s go the tools to be a moderately effective fantasy player. Not a Pujols or Howard type and not even a Konerko or Thome but possibly a Lyle Overbay with a little more power.

The second rookie to look at is Elijah Dukes. His move to first was precipitated by an overcrowded pool of young players in Tampa. His troubles off the field are well documented and not necessary to rehash here, but at this point I think it’s fairly safe to say he’s not a guy you need to worry about on draft day but should keep an eye on early in the season.