Top 10 Pirates fantasy players

02/16/2006
If you're a Pittsburgh fan, and want a fantasy team chock full of Pirates this spring, here are 10 players who you should be keeping an eye on at your draft. Winding up with all of these guys is very unlikely, but for those of you who will be miserable all summer if you don't have at least a handful of Bucs, make sure to target the 10 names below:
Name Position Dollar value
1. Jason Bay OF $32 Skeptics that projected a sophomore slump out of Bay were sorely mistaken. Bay was one of the best all-around outfielders in baseball while batting in the heart of one of the least productive lineups in the league, and was second among outfielders -- to Vladimir Guerrero -- with a .961 OPS (.402 OBP, .559 SLG). A noticeable difference in his second Major League season was a willingness to take a free pass, walking 95 times compared to just 41 in '04. At 27 years old, Bay has quickly developed into the consummate five-tool player, and ought to be one of the first few outfielders selected in any fantasy league.
2. Mike Gonzalez RP $17 Gonzalez may finally get the chance to become Pittsburgh's full-time closer in 2006, and the hard-throwing left-hander certainly has the tools to thrive in that role. The transition may not be entirely smooth, though. Gonzalez walked 35 batters in 50 innings last season, and control problems don't necessarily disappear overnight. Then again, there are many relievers who are nasty enough to get by without great control, and Gonzalez fits that bill to a tee. If he does wind up the regular closer, then Gonzalez should be good for about 30-plus saves. The walks will hurt, but he'll make up for it with 80-90 strikeouts.
3. Oliver Perez SP $11 The seduction of Perez's awesome strikeout power is doused by the cold shower of all the walks and home runs he allows. Even in his superb 2004 season, the left-hander allowed 3.7 free passes per nine innings. A rocky start to 2005 boiled over when Perez attacked a laundry cart in June, and he missed 10 weeks when the cart fought back. There's no denying his talent, and the memory of 2004 remains in the minds of many owners, so Perez isn't going for cheap. But until he fine-tunes his control -- he walked more than he struck out last September -- Perez is a very risky play.
4. Zach Duke SP $10 Duke's game is built around an extraordinary changeup and excellent control, which he demonstrated during his run at the 2005 NL Rookie of the Year Award. Still, despite his impressive debut, he still has some proving to do. To ace the learning curve, he's going to have make adjustments in his second (and third) times through the league. Duke will figure it out eventually, despite playing for a poor team, but the results this year won't look like those from 2005.
5. Sean Casey 1B $9 Casey had an outstanding 2004 season, earning him a lofty draft position from owners who were hoping for a reprise in 2005. Instead, owners ended up with a player whose power completely dropped off the table. Casey could bump up his power numbers batting behind budding superstar Bay, but he didn't produce with Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn batting behind him in Cincinnati, so it's unlikely that will happen. Casey won't hurt your average, but you really need more than nine homers from your first baseman.
6. Joe Randa 3B $7 Randa will help your fantasy team a lot more than he'll help the Pirates offense. Then again, his outstanding clubhouse presence will help the Bucs more than it helps you, so it's kind of a wash. You know what you're getting with Randa: a pretty nice average, somewhere in the low teens in homers and a few RBIs. Randa is a very nice fallback if you can't get a star at third base, and he's a lower risk than quite a few of the guys ranked ahead of him.
7. Jeromy Burnitz OF $4 How sweet the Colorado surroundings can be. In 2004, in the declining stage of his career, Burnitz boosted his reputation with a monster season for the Rockies. Leaving Coors Field for Wrigley Field this past season was more of a true reflection of Burnitz's skills. PNC Park offers a moderate advantage to hitters, and in a weaker lineup, the 36-year-old is unlikely to surpass last year's numbers. Unless you're in an NL-only league and have the tolerance for a batting average in the .250s, pass on Burnitz.
8. Roberto Hernandez RP $4 Hernandez recently turned 41 years old, but he still throws very hard and is coming off his best season in years. Even more relevant, though, is that with Jose Mesa now out of the picture, Hernandez is the most experienced closer in Pittsburgh. Yes, we know -- Gonzalez is expected to fill that role. But what happens if the young left-hander struggles in his new job? The Bucs will likely turn to either Hernandez or Salomon Torres at that point, and Torres has about as much experience closing as Gonzalez. If you're looking to cash in on the possibility of a few extra saves, then Hernandez is the safer bet.
9. Salomon Torres RP $4 A durable, reliable setup man, Torres has averaged 81 appearances and a 2.70 ERA over the last two seasons. Unfortunately, he's also averaged just 5.66 strikeouts per nine innings over that span, a disappointing ratio for somebody with his arsenal of hard stuff. Relievers who induce contact usually have pretty negligible fantasy value, but there's a chance Torres could pick up a few extra saves this year -- that is, if first-year closer Gonzalez struggles. It's an outside shot at best, especially since the more experienced Hernandez is also on the roster, but it makes Torres worth a late-round insurance selection.
10. Ryan Doumit C $3 Doumit showed good power potential in his first taste of the big leagues. The switch-hitter batted only .197 in limited action before the All-Star break, but batted .281 with all six of his homers and 25 RBIs in only 49 second-half games. The Pirates appear ready to hand the reins over to Doumit full-time with Humberto Cota as the only other catcher on the roster. Doumit will turn 24 the first week of the season, and if he continues to progress, could hit 15 homers and knock in 60 runs in his first full season.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/