If you've noticed, I don't spend a lot of time discussing my sleepers or sleepers in general. I leave that up to the other highly qualified writers on this site. But I've gotten emails from readers asking me who my sleepers are so I've decided to throw them at you all at once with my All-Sleeper Team.
Catcher
Jeff Clement- The catcher position is much deeper this year compared to past years. Clement adds to that depth. His numbers may not represent that but the potential is there. It sometimes takes a young catcher time to develop his hitting skills. A catcher's primary concern is handling the pitching staff and playing good defense. Offense is secondary. Since much of a catcher's concentration is devoted to defense, it takes a good number of AB to get honed in at the plate. Clement did not have that luxury last season. We've seen Chris Iannetta and Mike Napoli excel at the plate with more playing time and Clement will do the same if given the opportunity. He could pay huge dividends in Round 20.
First Base
Paul Konerko- Aside from Lenny Melnick, many people are ready to write him off as washed up. Like Lenny, I strongly disagree with those people. As bad as last season was for Konerko, he finished strong hitting .296 with 13 HR in the last two months. We all know that Konerko is a slow starter. Well, he started slow again, this time it just lasted longer than past seasons. 2008 was also the first year that Konerko had to battle some serious injuries. He had a bad thumb that bothered him all season and he made his first career trip to the DL. I'm expecting a big bounce-back season for Paulie and he could be a huge steal in about the 17th round, especially if he's your CI. He could get close to his usual 30/100.
Second Base
Mike Fontenot- He now has a huge opportunity to prove to the league that he deserves to be an everyday second baseman. Fontenot excelled in limited duty last season: .304 BA, 42 R, 9 HR, 40 RBI, 2 SB in 243 AB. The Cubs have brought in Aaron Miles to compete for the bulk of playing time at 2B but I'm giving the edge to Fontenot. He is a favorite of manager Lou Piniella and came up with a lot of big hits for the Cubs last year. The one knock on him is his defense. It's said that is what keeps him from being an everyday player but it's not enough to keep his bat on the bench. My guess is Fontenot faces the righties and Miles faces the lefties. Good thing for him that there are more righties in baseball. Keep an eye on this situation during Spring Training.
Shortstop
Jed Lowrie- It's difficult to find that hidden gem at the SS position but Lowrie could provide some value late in drafts. Julio Lugo is currently slated as the starter at SS but he has proved to be inconsistent at the very least. Also, it’s still uncertain if Mike Lowell will be ready for opening day. Given the state of affairs on the left side of Boston’s infield there should be a good number of AB available for Lowrie. He struggled with the swing and miss last season but came up with big hits for the BoSox down the stretch. He has proven to be a capable run producer with some power potential. Lowrie should get about 350 AB with the possibility of more. If something should happen where Lowrie finds himself starting then you could do far worse than him as your MI.
Third Base
Josh Fields- Hampered by injuries in '08, Fields was unable to stay on the field after given the shot to play 3B when Joe Crede went down for the season. Fields showed his power in '07 with 23 HR in limited AB. He is the leading candidate to win the starting job for the White Sox this season. Fields will have to fend off rookie sensation Dayan Viciedo but it's becoming clearer by the day that Viciedo starts the season in Triple-A. If Fields can complete a full season there is a good possibility of a 30 HR year from him. The concern is if he can stay healthy and keep the BA somewhere in the .260's.
Outfield
Carlos Gomez- Is he a sleeper? It's debatable. People are really split on Gomez and the people that are against him are really down on him. But how can you pass up 35+ SB in the 18-20th rounds? I define him as a sleeper because I think we will see a little more power from Gomez and a better BA than most people expect. It will take a few years before we see what this kid is really all about but we will get a nice glimpse of it this year. I'm seeing .273 BA, 13 HR, 41 SB. You will find him on many of my teams.
Chase Headley- How come nobody is talking about Chase Headley? At this time a year ago he was all the rave but now there is hardly a peep out of people about this prospect. His K-rate was severe in his rookie season but that's hardly uncommon for a young player. He showed flashes of his potential but his struggles overshadowed them. There's no reason why he shouldn't be starting for the lowly Padres and given a full season we should see that next step in his progression. Deep leagues and NL-only leagues will have Headley on almost every roster. He's got a good shot at 18 HR and 80 RBI this year.
Ryan Spilborghs- After sharing time in the OF for three seasons, Spilborghs will finally get a chance to play every day. After the numbers that he has put up in those three seasons it seems well deserved. He put up an impressive line of numbers in limited duty last year: .313 BA, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 7 SB in 233 AB. He's proven that he can hit but can he hit when playing everyday? His consistency throughout his career makes me think he can. He will be a nice 5th OF with double-digit steals and a high BA.
Starting Pitcher
Kenshin Kawakami- One of the best pitchers in the East will now join the NL East and will be hooking up with an already solid pitching staff. Kawakami is in total command on the mound and is as confident a player as you can find. If he can get any kind of run support from the Braves he could win 15 games. Going very late in drafts and sometimes undrafted, Kawakami could be one of the real steals this year. For more information on Kawakami read my article on him here.
Closer
Chad Qualls- He has always been an underrated relief pitcher and now finally has an opportunity to close games. Qualls was as good as it gets last year when handed the closer role last season. He finished the year with a 2.81 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 71 K in 73.7 IP. Now Qualls looks to be the closer for a team that should provide him plenty of save chances. He has a career 3.21 ERA and 1.20 WHIP so last year was not much of an aberration. If Qualls can keep his high K rate and have another year with an ERA under 3.00 he could find himself among the Top 10 closers.
Alright guys let me hear it. Who on this team are you expecting similar execution from? Which one player would you say absolutely does not belong? Who would be his replacement?
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