SoxFanForever Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 http://fantasy.sportingnews.com/baseball/v...a/20050213.html Fantasy Source Expert: Roger Kuznia Roger Kuznia White Sox: Powering down in Chitown Feb. 13, 2005 Print Article The latest in a series of team-by-team fantasy analyses previewing the 2005 season. White Sox team page THE NEED FOR SPEED Key additions: OF Jermaine Dye, RP Dustin Hermanson, 2B Tadahito Iguchi, RP Bobby Jenks, C A.J. Pierzynski, OF Scott Podsednik, RP Luis Vizcaino. Key losses: IF Roberto Alomar, C Sandy Alomar, OF Carlos Lee, OF Magglio Ordonez, SS Jose Valentin, RP Dan Wright. Though U.S. Cellular Field yielded the second-most home runs in the majors last year, GM Ken Williams decided to remake his team with speed and defense in mind. What's he trying to do, take away Hawk Harrelson's classic call? ("You can put it on the board . . . YES!") How dare he. Included in Williams' moves were letting go of Magglio Ordonez and Jose Valentin via free agency, trading Carlos Lee to the Brewers for Scott Podsednik and reliever Luis Vizcaino, and signing Jermaine Dye and Tadahito Iguchi to plug holes in the outfield and at second base, respectively. Also, this team likely will start the season without Frank Thomas, who is recovering from ankle surgery. All of this leaves the team with a significant lack of power. The rotation is anchored by lefthander Mark Buehrle and righthander Freddy Garcia, but Yankees castoffs Jose Contreras and Orlando Hernandez come with question marks. Jon Garland is pretty good for a No. 5 starter, but he gives up home runs by the bushel. Whether the White Sox have enough offense to help their pitchers is an open question. INFIELD Projected lineup Player, Position Proj. round Scott Podsednik, LF 7-8 Tadahito Iguchi, 2B 14-15 Carl Everett, DH DND Paul Konerko, 1B 5-6 Jermaine Dye, RF 20-21 Aaron Rowand, CF 8-9 A.J. Pierzynski, C 15-16 Joe Crede, 3B 23-DND Juan Uribe, SS 18-19 Projected as of Feb. 13. For updated information, click on the link atop this page. Projected round is for standard 12-team, 5x5 mixed league with 23-round draft. DND stands for "Do Not Draft." Catcher: Cancer in the clubhouse. Bad apple/egg/influence. A.J. Pierzynski has been called all those things and probably more, yet it really hasn't affected his work at the plate. Pierzynski's batting average was 40 points lower in 2004 than it was in 2003, but his homer and RBI totals were strikingly similar. I don't think manager Ozzie Guillen will tolerate any renegade behavior, which is why Pierzynski will fit in fine with his new mates. He'll continue to produce like he has over the past couple of years. Light-hitting Ben Davis is his backup. First base: Paul Konerko arguably had his finest season in 2004. He probably can't replicate it with the lesser amount of protection he'll have in the lineup. However, Konerko is a free agent at the end of the year, which means he'll be doing all he can to earn top dollars for 2006 and beyond. I think .275-30-100 seems about right. Ross Gload also could see some time here. He'll be a nice utilityman and could become more if injuries or ineffectiveness from starters plague the team. Second base: Tadahito Iguchi comes from Japan with some impressive credentials -- .333 average, 24 homers and 89 RBIs with the Daiei Hawks last year. The 30-year-old also has won two stolen base titles. Be cautious with this Japanese player. Only a few international players have come to the majors and hit the ground running, so it probably will take a year before Iguchi hits his stride. Third base: Joe Crede has such a fine minor league track record that it's baffling to see his success not carry over to the majors. Expected to have a breakout 2004 season, Crede was pedestrian, hitting only .239. The White Sox need him to pick up some of the offensive slack, but there are no guarantees he will. He is an in-season pickup at best for mixed league owners. Shortstop: Juan Uribe had quite a season despite struggling mightily in June and July. He didn't have a starting job entering 2004, but a hot start and injuries to others always kept him in the lineup. This year he has no worries about locking up a job. His versatility (qualifies at second base and third base as well) is a big asset, but remember he has put up good numbers for only one season. His other seasons have been mediocre. OUTFIELD Left field: Scott Podsednik led the majors with 70 steals last year, but you wonder if he would've had more with a different hitting stroke. Podsednik led the Brewers with 141 fly-ball outs, which is well and good if he were a power hitter. Podsednik would do everyone a favor by adjusting his approach and hitting the ball on the ground more. There's no doubt he could leg out some infield hits and improve his average. Center field: You can't say Aaron Rowand didn't work hard to get here. He spent oodles of time in the batting cages before games last year, and it paid off handsomely. Now he has a starting job and will bat second, which should continue to bring his speed into play. His style makes him a fan favorite, and he should become a favorite of fantasy owners in the middle rounds. Right field: Remember when Jermaine Dye broke his left tibia after fouling a ball off the leg in the 2001 playoffs? I sure do, as it's the first image I think of when I hear Dye's name. Dye has serious problems staying healthy (knee, hamstring, thumb, you name it), which is plenty of reason to avoid him in most mixed league drafts. It's not like the pickings are slim among outfielders. Designated hitter: Injuries ravaged Carl Everett's 2004 season, as he posted the worst numbers of his career. His commitment to improving this year is there, as he reportedly has lost 15 pounds and is working out regularly. The White Sox need him until Frank Thomas is able to return from his ankle surgery. That likely won't be until June. If you draft Everett, make him your final pick. He could produce some nice stats from the No. 3 hole if healthy. As for Thomas, he deserves to be drafted and stashed on injured reserve. STARTING PITCHING Projected rotation Player, Hand Proj. round Mark Buehrle, L 9-10 Freddy Garcia, R 9-10 Orlando Hernandez, R 22-23 Jose Contreras, R 23-DND Jon Garland, R DND Projected as of Feb. 13. For updated information, click on the link atop this page. Projected round(s) is for standard 12-team, 5x5 mixed league with 23 rounds. DND stands for "Do Not Draft." Mark Buehrle doesn't overwhelm anyone with his repertoire, but he always finds a way to get things done. Buehrle has pitched four consecutive 220-plus inning seasons and has a career ERA of 3.76. He also has averaged 16 wins over the past four years and set a career high in strikeouts last year (165). He'll be only 26 in late March, and his numbers could improve slightly thanks to the defensive improvements behind him. Freddy Garcia could be a No. 1 pitcher for some teams, but he's a solid No. 2 for the White Sox. Last year's trade to Chicago went predictably, as Garcia's ERA rose by more than a run (no doubt a product of hitter-friendly U.S. Cellular Field), but he won five more games than he did in spacious Seattle. Garcia would do well to keep his ERA below 4.00, but that will be difficult. However, his solid Ks total and respectable WHIP make Garcia a nice middle-round option. Orlando Hernandez impressed everyone by going 8-2 for the Yankees in 2004, but his complaints of a dead arm at the end of the season should concern fantasy owners. Hernandez had shoulder surgery in 2003 that kept him out for a year and a half, and the dead arm could be the start of new trouble. When El Duque is on, he is difficult to hit because of his ability to change speeds and arm angles. Because of his injury risk, he's a late-round pick at best. Big things were expected of Jose Contreras when he signed with the Yankees two years ago. His 2003 stats left hope for a solid 2004, but that never materialized. So he was traded to the White Sox at the July 31 deadline. He didn't improve in Chicago, but there is still hope that he can turn things around. Contreras is an in-season pickup at best for mixed leaguers. Though he's probably better off adorning a Christmas tree than standing on a mound, at least Jon Garland knows who he is -- as fine an AL-only pitcher as there can be. Why? He'll never be anything more than that. Garland gave up 34 home runs last year -- only six pitchers gave up more. You can expect Garland to win 10 games with an ERA in the mid-to-high 4.00 range and a WHIP of 1.40. It's not breathtaking, but at least the guy is consistent. BULLPEN Projected bullpen Player, Hand Proj. round Closer: Shingo Takatsu, R 13-14 Setup: Damaso Marte, L 23-DND Setup: Luis Vizcaino, R DND Projected as of Feb. 13. For updated information, click on the link atop this page. Projected round(s) is for standard 12-team, 5x5 mixed league with 23 rounds. DND stands for "Do Not Draft." After Billy Koch was exposed as a fraudulent closer, Shingo Takatsu got his chance and made the most of it. Takatsu does not have a blazing fastball, but he mixes up the speeds of his pitches so well that he still strikes out a fair amount of batters. His 7.36 ERA in August raised some red flags about his ability to handle the role, but he responded with a solid September (4 saves, 1.86 ERA). As long as he keeps hitters off balance, he will amass his share of saves. Damaso Marte also figured into the save situation last year, closing out six games in 12 chances. However, Marte seems better suited in a setup role, and that's where he'll probably stay even if Takatsu struggles. Free-agent acquisition Dustin Hermanson likely would get the first crack if Takatsu falls to pieces. Hermanson performed well in the role for the Giants at the end of last year, converting 17 of 20 save chances. Luis Vizcaino gives the White Sox another good bullpen option. He's a workhorse that will get his share of appearances out of the 'pen. Cliff Politte will provide another veteran presence. TO KNOW LIST TSN Games Tip : Statistically, the worst month of Mark Buehrle's career is April, as it is the only month where he has a losing record. His ERA and WHIP are also at their highest levels in April. Do not make Buehrle one of your pitchers to start the season. ON THE RISE Aaron Rowand. Let's give this guy credit. He's not a poor man's Carlos Beltran. He's an expensive man's Eric Byrnes. ON THE DECLINE Orlando Hernandez. He's 35 and a big injury risk. SLEEPER Shingo Takatsu. He likely will be undervalued in your draft, but he's a pretty reasonable bet to save 30-35 games. STAT SPLITS Did U.S. Cellular Field finally get to Mark Buehrle? He had a 5.02 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP at home compared to a 2.63 ERA and 1.07 WHIP on the road. That's something to keep in mind if the trend continues. COMING SOON Josh Fields, 3B. Fields hit .285 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 256 at-bats at Single-A Winston Salem last year, and he is the likely replacement for Joe Crede in 2006 should Crede flake out again. Those aren't exciting numbers, but they do look better than Crede's. Associate editor Roger Kuznia is a fantasy baseball expert for Sporting News Interesting article, thought you guys might be interested. I don't think this was posted yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 QUOTE(SoxFanForever @ Feb 14, 2005 -> 02:28 AM) http://fantasy.sportingnews.com/baseball/v...a/20050213.html Interesting article, thought you guys might be interested. I don't think this was posted yet. Not a bad article. I really am getting sick of all this "power" outage talk I keep hearing. We have SEVEN guys who can hit legitimitely hit anywhere from 20-35 hr's. That's plenty of power as far as i'm concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JUGGERNAUT Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 Quite a few DND's there. Ugly. * Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 I gotta be honest, I quit reading when the writer starting talking about a significant lack of power. It pretty much discredited him in my eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Zelig Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Feb 14, 2005 -> 07:47 AM) Quite a few DND's there. Ugly. * Who cares? They are playing baseball, not fantasy baseball. Fantasy baseball has no category for team wins, which really all that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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