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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Andrew Cashner, SP: Cashner (thumb) is no sure thing for Opening Day, but he has looked tremendous during the spring. At this point it is likely he starts the season on the 15-day disabled list because he hasn’t stretched out far enough to be an effective starter out of the chute. He’ll likely use extended spring training to round into shape. However, coming back from an injury and pitching for the lowly Padres will likely keep his price tag down in daily play. He should be a nice bargain during April and May.
Jason Marquis, SP: The veteran will be overlooked by many fantasy owners in daily play and re-draft formats alike. However, he has been developing a new changeup which would really serve him well during the regular season. It’s refreshing to see a veteran still working hard to perfect his craft, and not just resting on his laurels. Marquis isn’t going to be an ace, and he isn’t likely to be used by fantasy owners very frequently. However, when the matchup is favorable, such as home games against inferior opponents, Marquis might be a very attractive fantasy option with a low price tag.
Eric Stults, SP: Stults was huge last season in his first look as an extended starter in the major leagues, going 8-3 with a 2.91 ERA over 99 innings in 20 appearances (15 starts) for the Padres last season. He walked 27 and struck out 55, so he isn’t going to be mistaken for Nolan Ryan any time soon. But he is a nice control pitcher who manages to keep the ball down. He had a solid 1.20 WHIP for the Padres while opposing hitters managed to bat just .249 against him. He is expected to serve as the team’s fourth starter, so he’ll face several favorable pitching matchups early on. And working at pitcher-friendly Petco Park doesn’t hurt, either.
Everth Cabrera, SS: Cabrera is one of many players whose name was linked to Biogenesis, which is a Miami clinic linked to performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). It is uncertain if Cabrera will face any kind of punishment from Major League Baseball, and if so, when that situation might actually be resolved. For now, Cabrera is the team’s starting shortstop, and he will be a nice value during the early going. He is a forgotten man playing for the Padres, but he rolled up 44 steals on 48 attempts while posting 24 extra-base hits in 398 at-bats over 115 games. He’ll be a cheap middle infielder option in daily play who could rack up plenty of points due to his legs, but don’t expect any power.
Yasmani Grandal, C: Grandal is suspended for the first 50 games due to a violation of Major League Baseball’s PED policy. However, when is able to return around Memorial Day or so, Grandal should not be forgotten. He is a catcher who has pop, posting eight homers and 36 RBI in 192 at-bats over 60 games last summer. Cs Nick Hundley and John Baker will simply be keeping the position warm while Grandal serves his punishment, as Grandal is expected to be the No. 1 backstop in San Diego when he returns.
Jedd Gyorko, 2B/3B: Whether Gyorko starts at second base, which management is now confident he can do after an impressive spring, or he starts at third base, Gyorko looks like he will be a regular in manager Bud Black’s lineup. The West Virginian has put up prodigious power numbers in the minors, socking 55 homers with 214 RBI in 266 games over the past two seasons. While his power numbers won’t that be impressive at spacious Petco Park, he will have the luxury of playing road divisional games in hitter havens like Chase Field in Arizona and Coors Field in Colorado.
