Sportsline A.L. Results: Second Basemen

THE YOUNG STUDS: B.J. Upton $37, Robinson Cano $32, Ian Kinsler $28.
If you were hoping that any of these emerging guys were going to fall to you at a bargain price, you'd better think again. Upton was the fourth most expensive hitter in the entire auction. A lot of people are assuming that Upton won't be able to keep up the .300 average due to the high strikeout rate, but he's one of those players who is so talented it simply might not matter. Even if he "only" hits .280, he still might put up a 30/30 season. $37 is too high in 5x5, but he still might be a Top 10 hitter in the A.L. next year. The Cano bid I'm less sure about. Yes, he's talented, but he doesn't have a lot of loft in his swing. People are looking at his age and growth curve and expecting a 30 HR season, but Cano might not be that kind of hitter. I thought Kinsler would go for less, but he was a 20/20 guy last year, and I think people are looking at the 2007 batting average and thinking it was a fluke. The average did spike Post All-Star, but the power dropped along with that spike. I think Kinsler's good but, like all of the 2B in this group, his price might be wishful thinking.

RISK/REWARD: Brian Roberts $26.
Roberts was a Roto stud last year, particularly because he stole 50 bases and scored 103 times, but he also added a little power and a little average to boot. He's probably a bargain at this price, and a better bet price-wise than the guys above him on this list. Alas, the rub is that Sportsline doesn't let you keep the stats of players traded over to the "other" league. If the long rumored deal to the Cubs goes down, Roberts is a $26 waste of space. Right now, it seems probable that Roberts will be dealt. But we've all seen likely deals not happen, and the Orioles are still playing hardball with the Cubs on this one. The Baltimore Sun speculates that the Orioles might keep Roberts for now and wait until the MLB trade deadline - when a team like the Indians or Mariners might choose to upgrade on Asdrubal Cabrera or Jose Lopez for the stretch run - to see if there are more suitors.

THE RISING YOUNG CROP: Howie Kendrick $19, Aaron Hill $17, Dustin Pedroia $14, Jose Lopez $12, Asdrubal Cabrera $11.
The American League suddenly has a rising young group of players at the keystone who are making this position stronger than it has been in recent memory. Kendrick is the statheads' darling. Despite some very low walk rates, all he does is spray the ball to all fields and hit over .300. The rub here is that Kendrick is one of those guys who will need to hit .320 to earn that $19 in 5x5. He hasn't shown much in the way of power or speed yet. For this year, Hill might be a better choice. He doesn't have the hype surrounding him that Kendrick does, but all Hill did was hit 17 HR last year in his third season and boost his SLG all the way up to 459. He'll be 26 years old this season; while a big breakout might not be likely, Hill could hit 25 HR in 2008. The fear surrounding Pedroia is that last year is as good as it gets in the power department. I'm reluctant to write off a guy who was a 23-year old rookie in 2007, but I have to admit that Pedroia looks more like a David Eckstein-type to me than a developing superstar. Cabrera mostly gets noticed for his defense, and he indeed didn't provide much Roto value in 2007. But he was also a 21-year old kid who held his own against the big boys. One thing we'll all be curious to see in 2008 is if he can translate some of that minor league speed (23 SB in AA Akron last year) to the majors. He didn't even attempt a steal in the 50 times he reached first base in the majors last year. Lopez has to be cut some slack as a 24-year old, but the numbers make him look like a Juan Uribe minus the power. He had a sorry 519 OPS Post All-Star last year, losing not only HR in the second half but also tons of batting average. I'd probably keep my bid in single digits and make Lopez prove it to me before paying for his potential.

THE STEADY VETS: Placido Polanco $19, Mark Ellis $17, Mark Grudzielanek $6.
I can see why Polanco would go for $19, but I hate investing significant money in a player who had over one third of his 2007 value tied up in batting average. He's a fine hitter, but if he "only" hits .300 this year, he loses $6 of his 2007 5x5 value, not to mention the drop in runs and RBI if he gets 24 fewer hits. Ellis is another head-scratcher at this price. Hats off for a great 2007, but I have a hard time seeing Ellis swatting 19 HR again in 2008. I'd rather be wrong and pay $12 at most than be right and pay $17 for last year's stats. Grudzielanek, on the other hand, is a guy who is OK at this price. He's a boring player, but he's also a guy who manages to put up $10-12 worth of earnings over the course of an entire season. My bid's a little lower than $6, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Grudz earn $8-10 this year and post a tidy profit.

THE REST: Macier Izturis $7, Danny Richar $3, Josh Barfield $2, Alexi Casilla $2, Esteban German $2, Alexei Ramirez $1.
I include Izturis here because it seem to me that he belongs in the crapshoot this early on. He might wind up as the starting SS, but he's miscast as anything other than a utility player. I'd rather pay $3 for him in the hopes that he earns $10-12 than pay $7 and see him go up in smoke. Is Richar the starting 2B for the White Sox? If he is, then that's a bargain, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Uribe playing 2B in Spring Training. Barfield could wrest the 2B job back from Cabrera with a strong spring, but it looks to me like he needs a trade. I'd guess Casilla and Ramirez start 2008 in AAA. I like German as a cheap MI play; he should get plenty of time at seven positions and still put up 300-350 AB for what's still a weak Royals team.