Tuesday, January 6, 2009

First to Third: A Good Year to be in a Salary Cap League

Rejoice if you are a fan of salary cap fantasy baseball. Although the holidays came late for you this year, once 33 home run guy Pat Burrell signed for a very low $8 million a year, the market was set low this off-season, meaning you'll be sure to get some cheap deals.

Jason Giambi and Adam Dunn are both power guys who haven't signed yet (Giambi is rumored to be close with Oakland for a paltry $5 million) and won't get rich this off-season. Once January 1st comes and goes and spring training draws near, players start to panic and begin to lower their demands. In addition, with the increased focus on player development and young talent, these veterans won't command much cash despite solid numbers entering their walk year.

All three of the players mentioned so far are good for at least 30 home runs this season if healthy and other vets like Bobby Abreu, Trevor Hoffman, and Derek Lowe should all see their asking price come down while their production stays the same, meaning a better buy for a fantasy owner looking to fill out the bench.




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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

How does Pat the Bat fit in with Tampa? He was a surprise last year, do you think he cashed in and will underachieve or do you think he'll be reenergized around all the young kids?

Rob Burckhard said...

Burrell made $14 million last year with Philadelphia, so he took about half of the money he earned last year so I wouldn't exactly call it cashing in. He actually hasn't made less than $9.5 million since he made $7 million in 2005. I think his right handed power bat will fit in nicely in Tampa. Don't expect to see Pat the Bat man the outfield too often.