On The Wire: NL Central Preseason

By Jim Higgins

NL West | AL West | NL Central | AL Central | NL East | AL East

Here is Part 3 of our look at some potential keepers to pick up for 2011 and beyond. Again, some of these players may be owned in your league but the key here is that you should be able to get them either easily via trade or as an end game pickup.

Chicago – Geovanny Soto – C
One thing I have noticed about a lot of players who were injured in ’09 is that the value they are carrying into 2010 is nowhere close to the value they had going into ’09, and a prime example of that is Soto. This guy was going to be the next great power-hitting backstop but after an injury-riddled sophomore year, his bandwagon is pretty empty. But consider this, he hit 6 HR in June alone and enters spring training 40 pounds lighter than last year. If he is healthy this season he improves upon his rookie power numbers from 2008. Now’s the time to get him before his value soars again.

Cincinnati – Jay Bruce – OF
The good news for Bruce owners is that he has power – the bad news is his average last year was worse than Adam Dunn‘s. Some of Bruce’s BA woes seem to be fueled by a BABIP of .221 so there is some hope that his BA can reach the .260-.280 range, which shouldn’t kill you. Given that he will only be 23 this year, this is the perfect kind of guy to pick up and watch him grow into a potential future star.

Houston – Bud Norris – SP
Young pitching is always a huge gamble but on a team that is getting really old in a hurry, a post hype prospect such as Norris is exactly the guy to target here. Norris wasn’t spectacular in his MLB debut but he has had an extended look and a clear path to playing time. There is no doubt that there will be some growing pains with Norris but the patient will clearly benefit if he puts it all together quickly.

Milwaukee – Mat Gamel – 3B
The Brewers seem to be in the middle of a youth movement in their infield but Gamel seems to be the forgotten man here. Depending on your league rules you may have to acquire and put Gamel on a MiLB or reserve roster depending on where he starts the year. He does possess power at a position that seems to be getting thinner by the year so the benefits of getting Gamel now could be big.

Pittsburgh – Jeff Clement – 1B
In a system rife with young talent, I am reaching deep here and going with a guy who has not come close to living up to the hype that surrounded him as a prospect. Now 27, this may be Clement’s last shot to show something if he wants to be a major leaguer. Clement needs to decide if he wants to focus more on power or contact and live with that choice but there was a reason he was hyped all those years ago and if he can flash that talent again, Clement could be one of the biggest bargains of the last few years in fantasy. Don’t draft Clement but make sure you keep an eye on Pittsburgh to see if he finally gets it.

St. Louis – Colby Rasmus – OF
For some reason I have trouble separating Bruce and Rasmus in my mind and when you look at the stats, Rasmus’ rookie season is eerily similar to Bruce’s. Bruce has a little more power but Rasmus is in the better lineup and should be able to improve his stats just through his natural growth curve. He has low BA/OBP/SLG numbers right now but as he ages he should be able to increase those numbers. Another long term project but there is potential profit to be had.

I will continue to keep this series going and as always, if you have a question about a specific player leave a comment.