Team: CBS Sports.com (Eric Mack)
Year in League - 6th
Previous Finishes - 8th, 3rd, 4th, 2nd, 2nd.
Projected 2010 Finish (Sportsline Projections): 10th
The Roster
Catchers: Ryan Doumit $7, Jesus Flores $1.
Corner Infield: Prince Fielder $40, Hank Blalock $1, Juan Uribe $2.
Middle Infield: Jeff Baker $4, Jerry Hairston $1, Adam Kennedy $1.
Outfield: Ryan Braun $45, Colby Rasmus $14, Jeff Francoeur $9, Chris Young $8, Johnny Damon $3, Carlos Gomez $5.
Pitchers: Chris Carpenter $27, Ryan Franklin $20, Francisco Rodriguez $25, Yovani Gallardo $23, Cole Hamels $20, Sean West $1, Ryota Igarashi $1, Sean Marshall $1, Franklin Morales $1.
Reserves: Rod Barajas, Mike Jacobs, Jeff Keppinger, Jason Giambi, Steve Pearce, Daniel McCutchen, Tony Abreu.
Hitting/Pitching Split: $141/$119
Categorical Strengths: Saves, ERA, WHIP.
Categorical Weaknesses: RBI, SB, Runs, Batting Average, Strikeouts.
Just like I did last year, Eric Mack of CBS Sports accidentally spent $100+ on his pitching staff and had to scramble at the end of his auction to build an offense. Unlike me, though, Mack spent 60% of his money on offense on two players - Braun and Fielder - and had even less money to spread around for his hitting.
This might be a case where I like a team better than the projections do. Kennedy, Uribe, Doumit, and Young all seem like steals to me at these prices, and Gomez is probably the biggest steal of all at $5 if he hangs on to the job and gets 500 AB. If I have an issue with Gomez, it's that this is a weak team in SB and grabbing Gomez late didn't help enough in SB. Mack would have been better off throwing SB overboard and getting another power hitter. The problem, of course, is that his team is bleeding on offense in every direction so I can see why he was just playing the bargain game and not the category game. Mack also swung for the fences with a couple of MLB free agents. He already whiffed on Damon; it remains to be seen what happens with Blalock.
Not surprisingly, his $119 pitching staff projects out very well, though middle of the pack in wins and weak in strikeouts. If Marshall and West both pitch to their poor projections, Mack will likely reserve or release them, but if they pitch well in those categories, that's where he'll likely make a big move without the benefit of a trade. K-Rod and Franklin are a fine closing tandem, though both seem a little overpriced for 5x5.
On the whole, I like this team more as a middle-of-the-pack team than a bottom feeder. However, there are too many holes on offense to anticipate a full recovery. If you're going to spend $115+ on pitching, my advice is to either spread the wealth around on offense (avoiding big-ticket items like Braun/Fielder) or dump power entirely and go for runs, BA, and steals.
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