A.L. Corners

jurgen wants to know which of these corner infielders are the best going forward:

Paul Konerko
Mike Lamb
Kevin Millar
Melvin Mora
Richie Sexson

So far, the Rototimes player rater has them ranked:

Mora $18.30
Millar $17.38
Sexson $13.40
Konerko $10.14
Lamb $5.54

Jurgen's question is more interesting to me than the typical query you'll see on some message boards (Who should I drop: Ryan Howard or Derrek Lee. Yawn.). I'm not sure what jurgen's particular circumstances are, but it sounds like he might own one or two of these underachievers/stiffs, and is possibly in the position to trade for one or more of these players. It's likely that he needs to roll the dice on one of these guys, and wants to know if one of the stronger players on this list - Mora or Millar - is a good sell high candidate and if one of the underperformers is likewise worth buying low.

Konerko is the guy I was tempted to rank first before I started researching this article. But his hand injury is so bad that he's having trouble tying his shoes. That would explain the three extra-base hits in 80 AB and 503 OPS this month. I don't think a DL stint can be ruled out, if only to give him two weeks to rest his hand. What he does when he comes back is an open question. If 2007 is the new level of expectations for him, then his value might be more in the $15-20 range. Even that might be an open question.

Sexson is a guy I drafted in my regular league, and while I'm happy with the 9 HR, he seems like another guy headed in the wrong direction. He's got a .197 OBP in the month of May, and while he's still popping a few out this month, he's got a 2/25 BB/SO in 59 AB. If he can return to what he did in April, we can all certainly tolerate it, but I wouldn't bet on it. The Mariners sat him tonight, and I think Sexson could be in for long stretches on the bench (like he was at the end of last year) if he keeps putting up absolutely nothing. He might be a $10 player this year, and that's if he gets the playing time.

So as surprised as I am to say it, I have to rank both Mora and Millar ahead of Sexson, and maybe even ahead of Konerko, since I think his hand is worse than the ChiSox have publicly been letting on. Millar's OPS isn't inspiring for a 1B either, but his BB/SO tell me that his 25 HR pace is possibly sustainable. Even if he "only" hits 18-20, I can believe that's possible, too. The Orioles also don't have any appealing options at AAA, so Millar should get most of the AB from here on out.

Mora's more of a trade risk, but his age probably will keep him from being a serious option for most contenders. He doesn't have as much power as the 1B listed above, but he seems to have found his level the last three years and - unlike Konerko and Sexson - has actually improved a little this month. He also runs a little, though the four CSs mean he might run less this year. 15 HR seems reasonable, with maybe another 4-6 SB. The average won't help, but it won't kill you, either.

Lamb has also improved this month. That isn't to say he's any great shakes; a 679 OPS in May still makes him a poor corner infielder. But it should be enough for him to stay in the Twins line-up. His worse-than-usual struggles against lefties mean that he's stuck in a platoon role, which should hamper his value further. The best case scenario here is that Ron Gardenhire keeps him on the bench against lefties, his power stroke against right-handers returns, and he provides surprising value off of the bench. But I wouldn't bet on it.

I guess I'd rank them Millar, Mora, Konerko, Sexson and Lamb. Konerko obviously moves up if/when his thumb heals. Sexson could move up if he reverts to his pre-2007 form, but that's looking like a poor bet at the moment.