Hope springs eternal for all 30 Major League Baseball teams, as camp begins. We’ll take a look at three sleepers at the pitcher position, and three sleepers among the hitters, to get you ready for the 2013 Fantasy Baseball season.
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PITCHERS
Jeff Locke, SP: From what we’ve seen of Locke in major league glimpses in 2011 and 2012, there isn’t much to like. He has compiled a 1-6 record with a 5.82 ERA over 51 innings in 12 games (10 starts), while walking 21 batters, serving up nine homers and posting a WHIP of 1.53. However, the Pirates remain committed to Locke, plugging him in as the fourth starter in the rotation right now. He will likely need to get out to a good start, as Charlie Morton (see below) is making his way back from Tommy John surgery, and should be ready mid-season. Locke will get his chances at least in the first two months of the season, and he can amass the strikeouts. He will likely have a very, very low salary for daily leaguers which, for that reason alone, makes him a nice sleeper early on. Just tamp down expectations based on past history.
Mark Melancon, RP: There is just something I do not trust about Jason Grilli serving as the team’s closer. Grilli is 36 years old, and there is a reason he hasn’t been a full-time closer in the majors. Over the past couple of seasons in Pittsburgh, Grilli has been a fine late-innings worker, but he has five career saves. Confidence is not high he will be able to get the job done, and a younger more viable option waits in the wings, and that is Melancon. True, he was abysmal in Boston last season, his first full season in the American League. For whatever reason he was unable to get untracked, but he is just one year removed from a stellar campaign in Houston which saw him nail down 20 saves with an 8-4 record and 2.78 ERA over 74 1/3 innings while compiling 66 strikeouts. He has the makeup to be a closer, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him inserted into the role before Memorial Day given Grilli’s track history.
Charlie Morton, SP: You can forget about Morton (elbow), at least through the first couple of months of the season. He has been facing live hitters in batting practice and throwing from a mound in spring training, but the team will take it very slow with Morton as he makes his way back from reconstructive elbow surgery. The plan appears to be for Morton to begin a minor-league rehab and reconditioning assignment perhaps around Memorial Day or early June, with an unofficial target date of the All-Star break to return to the Pittsburgh rotation. If and when he does make it back by then, he will be a nice, cheap fantasy option for daily leaguers. He won 10 games on a bad Pittsburgh club in 2011, posting a 3.83 ERA over 171 2/3 innings, so he could give daily leaguers some cheap wins later this summer barring any setbacks.
HITTERS
Clint Barmes, SS: Another season, another shortstop for the Bucs, who just cannot seem to find any stability at the position since Jack Wilson departed. Barmes has shown a little pop, and can be a cheap source of power for fantasy owners in daily leagues, and his batting average won’t kill you, as he has a career mark of .298. He is no longer a stolen base threat, last posting double-digits in steals in 2009, but he will come in around 40-45 runs scored with 20-25 extra-base hits. His slugging percentage has declined and OPS has been on the decline over the past few seasons, but that is also a little bit of a correction since he isn’t playing half of his games at hitter haven Coors Field anymore. Barmes won’t be great, but on a typical night he can give you a decent amount of points for a cheap price, allowing you to spend heavily at other positions.
Michael McKenry, C: Down the stretch last season, you couldn’t find a cheaper power source at the catcher position than McKenry. In just 88 games over 240 at-bats, he smacked 12 homers with 39 RBI, good for a .442 slugging percentage. This offseason, the team moved to add veteran Russell Martin, which will keep McKenry in a reserve role. He’ll play perhaps two or three times per week, getting about 10-15 at-bats. You’ll have to closely monitor the lineups, starting McKenry in day games after Martin plays in night games, etc. If you pay close attention, you’ll be able to use McKenry and get some very cheap power and fantasy points.
Starling Marte, OF: Marte appeared in 47 games in the majors last season, belting five homers with 17 RBI, 12 stolen bases and six triples in 167 at-bats over 47 games. He is a speed merchant with power potential, and he is penciled in as the team’s regular left fielder to start the campaign. The casual baseball fan and fantasy player will have no idea about Marte early on, and his salary should be low enough in April and May to make him a nice bargain. Don’t sleep on this sleeper who could end up piling up double-digit triples, 18-24 homers, 65-75 RBI and upwards of 40 stolen bases if he plays full time.
