Another Mock, Updated Top 50 Hitters, Keeper Trade

Mock Recap III

So I did another mock and the results can be found here.  NOTE:  I was a bad addict and had to run away from the computer around the 15th round, after already letting the computer auto pick for me once in the 13th.  The wife was getting annoyed.

Some notes & observations:

• I waited for Liriano till the 15th, despite the fact that I had him as the best pitcher for 2 rounds.  I didn’t get him like I had the previous 2 drafts (in the 13th and 14th rounds respectively).
• Guys I thought went way too late:  Morneau (5), Atkins (7), Konerko (9, after Todd Helton.  Aweful!), Sheffield (9).
•  A guy I like a lot this year: Jeff Francoeur (who I took in the 10th round).   The 24 year old has knocked in over 100 runs the last 2 years, and he raised his average 32 points last year (.260-.292).  He dipped a little in the home run department in 2007, but he should be a good bet for a .280-25-100-85-5 season with big time upside.  He could take a big leap in 08.

Updated Top 50 Hitters

1	Alex Rodriguez
2	Albert Pujols
3	Hanley Ramirez
4	Jimmy Rollins
5	Jose Reyes
6	Matt Holliday
7	Chase Utley
8	David Wright
9	Miguel Cabrera
10	Ryan Howard
11	Prince Fielder
12	David Ortiz
13	Grady Sizemore
14	Carl Crawford
15	Carlos Beltran
16	Vladimir Guerrero
17	Alfonso Soriano
18	Ryan Braun
19	Brandon Phillips
20	Mark Teixeira
21	Ichiro Suzuki
22	Magglio Ordonez
23	Justin Morneau
24	Lance Berkman
25	Robinson Cano
26	BJ Upton
27	Bobby Abreu
28	Aramis Ramirez
29	Derek Jeter
30	Troy Tulowitzki
31	Carlos Guillen
32	Brian Roberts
33	Travis Hafner +
34	Curtis Granderson
35	Carlos Lee
36	Adam Dunn
37	Garrett Atkins
38	Jason Bay
39	Eric Byrnes
40	Victor Martinez
41	Nick Markakis
42	Alex Rios
43	Derek Lee
44	Carlos Pena
45	Russell Martin
46	Manny Ramirez
47	Paul Konerko
48	Gary Sheffield
49	Rafael Furcal
50	Miguel Tejada

Keeper Trade

If you happened to read about this potential trade, you may glad to learn that a deal was made.  Tulowitzki was pulled off the table, as that team decided to keep him (he made the right move) and traded us Markakis for Bedard.  Trading Bedard wasn’t too difficult, as we still can keep Haren (if we kept Bedard, Haren would have gone back to the draft) and upgrading from Wang as our D keeper to Markakis was a no-brainer.   He’s a much more valuable player, with considerably more upside.

A concern of our was that of our 5 keepers, 3 are OF (Ichiro, Nick, and CBY) and that we lose a little flexibility going into the draft.  We have the #10 and 11 picks, and I am 97.2% certain Santana is going #1.  Therefore we should be able to land 2 of the following guys:  Sizemore, Beltran, Vlad. Teixeira, Soriano, Morneau, Berkman, Cano, Abreu, Jeter, Brian Roberts, Travis Hafner.   I think if we could land 2 infielders with our first 2 picks, we are in real good shape.  It’s very tough to tell how the draft is going to shake out, but if we could land like Morneau or Berkman and Cano with those 2 picks we’ll have a sick, and positionally balanced, offensive core.

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