CBS Sports A.L. Results - Outfielders Part II

This is Part II of the series I decided was too long to post as a one shot deal yesterday.

THE REST OF THE DOUBLE DIGITS.
J.D. Drew $12, Mike Cameron $11, Coco Crisp $11, David DeJesus $10, Brett Gardner $10, Magglio Ordonez $10, Travis Snider $10.

Not surprisingly, each one of these hitters is problematic for one reason or another. Drew is great in those odd years when he can stay completely healthy, but those years are indeed odd. The Red Sox can't complain about the 900+ OPSs he's given them the last two years when he's stayed on the field, and at this price his Roto owners shouldn't complain either. Based on his pricing scan, Cameron's a bargain at this price, but I can see why Roto teams would shy away from a 37-year-old with a high strikeout profile moving into the A.L. East. Contrary to what he and the Red Sox are saying, I don't think he's going to run again. Crisp should put up 7-9 HR, 20-25 steals and move the chains in runs/RBI if he's healthy. He's an uninspiring real life option but decent for Roto. DeJesus is another move the chains guy who is never going to put together big contributions in HR or SB but contribute enough there to be worth the double-digit buy.

Gardner at $10 is tough if he's not starting. The talk this year in New York mirrors the talk last year: Joe Girardi likes Gardy and he'll play somehow. It's a crowded OF, though, and if Gardy's one obvious Roto asset is going to shine through, he has to play. Ordonez bounced back last year Post All-Star, hitting .405 in his last 163 AB. He could very well hit .300 again, but it looks like the power is gone or almost completely gone. This is a guy I want profits from, so $10 is fine. Snider flopped in the beginning of the year before getting sent to AAA. He came back in August and while his batting average stayed low, his BB/AB spiked big time and he showed improved power. That doesn't make him a shoo-in to get better, but I like him as a post-hype bounceback candidate.

THE HIGH SINGLE DIGITS
Delmon Young $9, Milton Bradley $8, Johnny Damon $7, Matt LaPorta $7, Jermaine Dye $6, Scott Podsednik $6, Luke Scott $6.

This seems to be the price range where there are some steals and potential steals lurking. I'm not sure what's going to happen to Young with Jim Thome in the fold. My guess is that Young will still play a good deal, but it's also possible that he starts sitting against tougher righties. He's only 24 years old; some players his age are just reaching the Majors. He deserves another full-time opportunity but may not get it. Bradley could and should be an incredible bargain at this price, but I wouldn't put it past him to somehow get into some kind of disciplinary trouble and not be worth it. Damon was purchased when he was still a free agent; he's obviously a bargain at this price now. Even if he declines, he's going to play every day if he's healthy. It seems like LaPorta has a clean shot to start on the Opening Day roster for the Tribe. Like Snyder, he did poorly in his initial MLB action in May but came back strong after he returned from the minors. The price is suppressed because of off-season hip/toe surgeries that LaPorta had, but I like him better than Snyder this year as a Roto force if he's healthy.

Dye is still unsigned as I write this. The Jays would seem like a logical fit, but no rumors have tied him to Toronto. Podsednik isn't going to steal like he did in his prime, but should still be good for 20-25 steals. Scott is a big bargain at this price. Like Swisher, he's streaky, but at $6 all it takes is one big streak - like Scott had last year - to make him a steal here.

RIGHT ABOVE THE CRAPSHOOT
Michael Brantley $5, Jack Cust $5, Carlos Guillen $5, Jose Guillen $5, David Murphy $5, Ryan Raburn $5, Michael Saunders $5, Randy Winn $4.

Five was the magic number in the CBS Sports auction room. There's an interesting mix of starters and non-starters here, with the non-starters probably generating more excitement at these prices. Murphy and Raburn are very strong fourth outfielders, but it's hard to see how they'll generate enough AB to be bargains here. Brantley might wind up in AAA with the Russ Branyan signing; I've read in multiple places that the Indians would like to see him get more seasoning in the minors. Saunders is also likely to start 2010 in the minors. He was solid in AAA but bombed in Seattle last year. He's going to need a little more plate discipline if he's going to live up to the highest expectations. He's still very young. Winn should start, but the Yanks won't hesitate to bench him if he doesn't hit and he was one of the worst regulars (among qualifiers) in baseball last year. Guillen and Guillen both fit the profile of players who could put up big seasons but come with a great deal of injury and age-related risk. Cust is my favorite player here. He looks like some of the more expensive options in the outfield with poor averages at one-half to one-third of the price.

THE CRAPSHOOT
Jose Bautista $3, Jeremy Hermida $3, Eric Byrnes $2, Matt Joyce $2, Felix Pie $2, Ryan Sweeney $2, Marcus Thames $2, Clete Thomas $2, Wilkin Ramirez $1, Michael Taylor $1, Willy Taveras $1, Reggie Willits $1.

The expensive prices in CBS have led - in the past - to some pretty silly $1-3 players sitting in the end game. With the relative normalization of prices, that phenomenon was reduced a great deal this year. Sweeney is probably the one guy here who fits that profile. He should play every day in Oakland for the first time, and a $15-17 season is reasonable to expect if he does. If he flops, he should still earn $8-10. Bautista's the other definite starter here. He could lose the job at some point during the season, but Toronto's one of the thinnest teams in the American League so Bautista should play. 15 HR with an ugly average isn't unreasonable to expect and at $3, I'd take that.

Everyone else here is a back-up or a minor leaguer with varying chances of emerging. Hermida's injury insurance for Drew and Cameron. Byrnes is a lottery ticket for the Mariners. Pie is interesting at this price in that he earned a fair amount as a back-up last year and could do it again. Same goes for Thames, who could once again hit 20 HR as a part-timer, especially in Yankee Stadium. Joyce is the other guy here who could start depending on what happens this spring with Desmond Jennings and the rest of the candidates in Tampa. He's got pretty good power and is a nice sleeper if he comes north with the club.