Have you seen what’s going on in San Antonio with the perennial contender Spurs? Thursday night the Spurs dropped their third straight game to slip to 4-6 – the first time they’ve had a losing record through 10 games since 1996. But stranger yet, it was Utah that walked into the AT&T Center and emerged victorious, the first win for the Jazz in San Antonio in a decade – snapping a run of 20 straight losses.

In the second game of a back-to-back, San Antonio was missing both Manu Ginobili, who started at shooting guard Wednesday, and Tony Parker, who’s been out four of the past five games because of his nagging ankle injury.

With Ginobili out of action for another week or so because of his groin, it was Keith Bogans getting the start at the two guard. Uh, ya. May I suggest you do not stop reading this and go pick him up? Don’t do it. Please. Bogans has shown flurries of minimal value over the years, most recently coming off the Buck bench last season, but even as a starter in San Antonio, he’s just not getting it done.

Bogans did manage a season-high seven boards and three assists while adding a block despite playing in foul trouble, but he wasn’t exactly lighting it up. He’s actually shooting very well this season (50 per cent from the field), but simply isn’t getting enough touches for anyone to care. Besides, as a career 39.5 per cent shooter, his numbers can only go down from here, and he’s never been a rebounder. The Spurs really struggled with their perimeter game on Thursday, sinking just 4-of-20 from downtown, and Bogans did manage to play a big part in that, missing all three of his attempts from beyond the arc. There….see? He did do something after all.

Meanwhile, George Hill has been starting for Parker, but he’s struggling with his shot, sinking just 13-of-32 the past two games. Richard Jefferson shot better on Thursday, sinking 6-of-12, but with just 16 points, he didn’t exactly pick up the slack. How about getting a little aggressive, RJ? Eight trips to the line in the past three games? No wonder he’s struggling to put up points since arriving in San Antonio. This isn’t what the Spurs paid for, is it?

Another big free agent acquisition that hasn’t exactly paid dividends yet is Antonio McDyess. He’s shot the ball well this year, but is getting so few touches that no one has noticed. For instance, he’s drained 10-of-15 over the past three games. Obviously, five shots a game isn’t going to offer any Fantasy value.

Off the bench, Roger Mason is finally getting a bit of burn the past two games, and he showed some life Thursday, sinking 2-of-5 from 3-point range. It’s about time, dude. The normally excellent source of 3-balls has been ice cold this season, sinking just 23.5 per cent from downtown.

I’m sure no one is panicking in San Antonio. This team spun its wheels at the start of last season, yet still wound up winning 54 games and finishing first in their division.

Still, it is kind of weird to look at the Western Conference standings and see the Spurs sitting in 10th place, looking up at…the Thunder?

With free agency beckoning, Garret Anderson didn’t do himself any favours with a substandard 2009 campaign. Then again, how much did we expect him to do? Other than a big July in which he looked like the Anderson of old, the veteran outfielder didn’t do much.

We already discussed his poor August performance, but compared to what he did in September, Anderson looked like a Silver Slugger in August. In the season’s final month he hit just .216 with a 571 OPS and only one homer, a showing that likely sealed his fate in Atlanta – if that wasn’t already decided anyways, with the Braves needing to clear up some space for uber rookie Jason Heyward.

After staying relatively healthy in 2008, Anderson missed time this year with a quad problem, and his extra-base pop has been waning for a couple of seasons now.

He’s 37 and, coming off a down year, will be a fairly cheap option for some team, although you’d think with his deteriorating range in the outfield, he’d be best served working as a DH back in the American League.

However, one NL club that might come calling is the Florida Marlins, who would love to shift ROY Chris Coughlan back to his natural position at second base. Anderson might be a good match there, providing a veteran presence to a young club without the usual high price that is associated with that kind of player.

From a Fantasy perspective, Anderson is at best an NL-only option, and even then, he’d likely be a fourth outfielder type for your team. At this point, that’s not likely to improve.

We’re back with more of our look at the 2009 San Francisco Giants. You find our previous segments here: Part I and Part II.

In our previous parts, we focused on the pathetic nature of the Giants’ offense, and yet another reason for the weak attack was outfielder Fred Lewis, who all played his way out of being an everyday player. Lewis enjoyed a fine 2008 campaign – his first as a full-time big leaguer. But after a strong April, things went downhill quickly for Lewis, and by July, Nate Schierholtz more or less took his PT away.

Overall, Lewis was incredibly unproductive this season, and what modest pop he flashed last year disappeared. The big problem was he simply couldn’t hit lefties (.164 BA), so he was better down the stretch (786 OPS after the break) as a part-time player when he was not exposed to southpaws. And he put up that decent second half despite an absolutely crap September. The Giants are expected to try to lure a free agent outfielder this winter, and that could leave Lewis out in the cold. He may still bounce back, but so far, he’s been a big disappointment.

Speaking of disappointments, if you’re a Giants’ fan, it’s hard not to be upset at the relative lack of return the team has received from the ridiculously ill-conceived seven-year, $126-million contract that they gave Barry Zito in December 2006 – at the time, the largest deal ever doled out to a pitcher. Obviously, given that he’s the team’s highest paid player on a mid-market team, it’s reasonable to expect some pretty amazing results, the type of which have yet to transpire. However, let’s be fair here: after bottoming out in 2008, Zito actually did make a lot of progress this season.

On July 12, he suffered his worst bitchslapping of the season, and in fact, the worst since he’s arrived in San Francisco – eliciting plenty of well-deserved boos as he departed after surrendering 10 hits and nine earned runs in just 4 1/3 IP. It was just the third time in Zito’s career he had given up nine runs or more in a game.

The thing is, from that moment on, Zito was a different pitcher. Check out his game log for the final 15 starts of the season to see what I mean. He managed to trim his ERA by almost a full run over this stretch – the most consistent run he’s had as a Giant yet. Could he be ready to return to ace status, or at least be a top-of-the-rotation type in 2010? A revitalized Zito would give the already busting-at-the-seams-with-talent Giant rotation yet another weapon.

If this team’s hitting improves by even 20 or 30 points of OPS – look out. They’ll be almost assured of reaching the postseason for the first time since 2003.

In previous parts, we’ve already mentioned how this team’s offense would have been completely lost without Pablo Sandoval, but it’s worth discussing his 2009 a bit more, especially considering he was pretty much the only must-own hitter on the team, from a Fantasy perspective. The 25 dingers were impressive, but when you combine that with the NL’s second-highest batting average, sixth-best slugging percentage and seventh-highest OPS, you’ve got yourself a monster. Just 23, Sandoval has plenty of upside – which is a scary thought for opposing NL pitchers.

On the flipside, the progress that Kevin Frandsen showed back in 2007 has completely gone by the wayside. Sure, he lost virtually the entire 2008 season to injury, but it’s hard to believe that as recently as Spring Training 2009, he was still very much in competition for a starting job. Not only did Frandsen not win the job, but he didn’t even make the team out of Spring Training. Well, at least he stayed healthy, because there’s not much else you can say about his 2009.

In multiple stints with the Giants, Frandsen couldn’t hit his way out of a paper bag, batting .140 with a 384 OPS for 50 at bats. And down at Triple-A, it wasn’t as if he was crushing the ball. He was somewhat productive in the minors, but he only hit .295 – not bad by any means, but the first time he’s been under .307 in any Triple-A stint (keep in mind that we’re talking about a player who has a career BA in the minors of almost .320). Again, the 790 OPS was decent, but didn’t exactly scream “bring me up, I’m ready to bitch slap major league pitchers.” Frandsen is still just 27 and he’s headed to Puerto Rico this winter to improve his game, so he still may settle in as a utility infield type, but I suspect his days of being an intriguing Fantasy option have disappeared ever since his injury.

Clearly, the offense needs addressing this offseason. But with that overabundance of pitching, there are plenty of trade chips here for the team to lure a big stick from someone. Jonathan Sanchez, for instance, with three more years to go before he can become a free agent, would be an ideal part of a package to help land a masher. Currently penciled in as the No. 4 starter in the rotation, Sanchez could be a lot more valuable to a pitching-weak club. How about trying to pry Shin-Soo Choo away from the Indians using Sanchez as the bait? What about Josh Willingham from Washington? He’s a player rumoured to be on the market. Surely, Sanchez could bring in a hitter who can make a difference in this lineup, either in a one-for-one deal, of if San Francisco is feeling very ambitious, as part of a package for a really big fish.

But it’s probably going to take more than adding a big hitter to turn the Giants into an offensive force, or even a middling attack – which would be a massive improvement. This team needs to count on some organic growth from some of their young hitters, a few of which are on the cusp this season as far as finding out if they’re legitimate major leaguers or Quad-A types.

One of those is first baseman Travis Ishikawa. He’s 26 and coming off his first full-time season in the bigs, but we’re not seeing the offensive development we had hoped for. He got hot in mid-summer, earning a Wire Troll recommendation in early July, and that proved to be a good call as Ishikawa continued to hit well in July, batting .300. Unfortunately, he slumped in August before bouncing back somewhat in September. Still, it was a disappointing year for this defensively lauded fielder, as his extra-base pop was unacceptable for a corner infielder. Ishikawa’s walk rate dipped as well, but while his lefty-righty platoon splits weren’t bad, perhaps the Giants should have been employing a home-road platoon on this dude. He hit .349 with a 935 OPS at AT&T Park, but the Mr. Hyde act on the road was shocking as he managed just a .162 BA and 471 OPS away from home.

More telling, Ishikawa’s 659 OPS after the break suggests to me that his job shouldn’t be guaranteed in 2010 by any stretch of the imagination. New hitting coach Hensley Meulens has already started working with Ishikawa, among others, as he looks to help some of these bubble big leaguers achieve their potential. A big step forward from Ishikawa in 2010 would be a huge bonus for the Giants.

All the talk today is on what rookie Brandon Jennings did Saturday as Milwaukee rebounded to outlast Golden State in a good old fashioned shootout.

But one Buck I’ve had my eye on all year is Ersan Ilyasova. He didn’t get a lot of burn Saturday as the Bucks went small against the run-and-gun Warriors, yet he still managed to go a perfect 5-for-5 from the line while scoring nine points with four boards and a block off the bench. Not bad considering how little he played.

Ilyasova is battling starter Richard Luc Mbah a Moute for minutes at SF, with Carlos Delfino and Joe Alexander also in the mix. Alexander, of course, is out for several more weeks with a hamstring injury, while Delfino took a DNP-CD Saturday.

I really think Ilyasova could be a serious producer given more PT. On Wednesday, he put up 17 points, eight boards and two blocks off the bench. The game before that, he pulled down 13 rebounds.

I’m not recommending picking him up yet, unless your league is quite deep, but Ilyasova should be on your watch list. There’s tremendous upside here.

Game of the Night

Toronto @ Phoenix

If that Buck-Warrior game was a shootout, what the hell will this one be? Bring out your marginal Fantasy players for this game…there’s going to be some serious fireworks.

Consider that the Raptors are 5-4 yet have one of the worst defenses in the league, having surrendered 106.4 PPG. That tells you how much they’re scoring this year. And we all know that the Suns can light it up every night.

If Toronto is going to avoid dropping back to .500, however, it will have to end a seriously sick skid against Phoenix. The Raps have dropped 10 straight against the Suns, a fact that must make current Toronto GM (and ex-Sun head man) Bryan Colangelo fly into a rage. Come to think of it, he sort of always looks like he’s about to lose it.

Chris Bosh is again da man for the Dinos. He’s making an early case for a fifth All-Star appearance with 28 points and 11.8 RPG per game, both career highs. Uh, can you say contract year? On Friday, Bosh only got to the line eight times – the first time all season that he hasn’t reached double digits in trips to the charity stripe, a fantastic indication that he’s being extremely aggressive in the early going.

How about that 6-for-6 performance from beyond the arc so far? Bosh tied his career high with a dozen treys last season, and he’s already halfway there. If this truly is becoming a bigger part of his arsenal, Bosh may be ready to take the next step and join the truly elite players of the game.

Since we published Part I of our San Francisco Giants season review, a couple of their players have been in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Angel Villalona, considered one of the team’s top prospects and the first baseman of the future, is the prime suspect in a shooting death in the Dominican Republic, but earlier this week the victim’s family – who received a cash settlement from Villalona – has asked the a judge to drop the case. Amazing what a throwing few dollars around will do to a murder charge. However, the prosecutor still plans to pursue the charges against Villanlona, so he hasn’t exactly bought himself a free pass quite yet.

Giant ace Tim Lincecum, meanwhile, was nabbed while speeding and carrying 3.3 grams of pot. He’s going to get off with a slap on the wrist, and it’s not as if this is some kind of performance-enhancing drug that would improve his play on the field. Sure, Doritos and Twinkies sales are up all around San Francisco, but this is hardly something that will require an asterisk beside his Cy Young award.

Speaking of Giant hurlers, we need to talk about Randy Johnson’s 2009 campaign, which very well could be the final season of his tremendous career. He became the 24th pitcher to reach 300 wins, but then wound up missing over two months with a shoulder injury. When the Big Unit returned, he pitched out of the bullpen and wasn’t very effective. You know he’s going to want to start again should he decide to return for another season, and it’s hard to imagine the Giants having room for him.

Johnson will take some time over the winter to mull his options, but after compiling a 303-166 record for six teams and racking up a ridiculous 4,875 strikeouts – second only to the great Nolan Ryan and the most ever by a lefty – it’s probably time for him to call it a day. After five Cy Young awards, you’ve got to figure Johnson is a slam dunk first ballot Hall of Famer. So go home, Randy and sit by the phone until Cooperstown comes calling.

While the Unit’s 300th win was a definite highlight in San Francisco, how about the no-hitter Jonathan Sanchez tossed on July 10? Better yet, how about the progress the young lefty made in his second full season as part of the Giant rotation? His K/9 bounced back, he was much harder to hit and Sanchez became a different pitcher after the no-no, making huge strides in the second half. If there were any questions whether he’s a fixture in the rotation, they have been answered by Sanchez’s post-break performance.

In the bullpen, Brian Wilson solidified his role as closer, nailing down 38-of-45 chances and doing so in much less shaky fashion than he did in his first season as the closer. He’s quickly morphing into one of the more dominant firemen in the game, so feel free to draft him with great confidence next spring.

Now, as we discussed in Part I, the Giant offense was quite pathetic, but imagine how bad it would have been without Pablo Sandoval, the team’s hefty third baseman. In his first full season, this switch hitter hit .330, smacked a crapload of tape-measure home runs and drove in 90 runs.

In the outfield, Nate Schierholtz got super hot in June and early July, prompting a Wire Troll recommendation, but we missed the boat on this one as he struggled down the stretch, hitting a mere .240 after the break. This 25-year-old finally stuck as a big leaguer this season, but given his struggles against righties, all he managed to prove was that he could be a decent power bat off the bench against lefties. The fact is that this kid has serious power potential, but you wouldn’t have known it this year as he managed a mere five dingers.

The weak side of a RF platoon? That doesn’t sound very Fantasy-worthy to me, but with Randy Winn on his way out of town, Schierholtz will be given a chance to win more PT in right, but he’ll need to fend off Andres Torres, Fred Lewis, John Bowker and perhaps even Eugenio Velez. He has upside potential, but I don’t like Schierholtz’s chances of holding Fantasy value in any standard sized leagues, even NL-only ones, unless he starts hitting righties better.

Speaking of Velez, perhaps he and Schierholtz make perfect platoon partners as Velez struggles against lefties. He has tremendous potential as a top-of-the-order hitter, but he’ll need to work on his patience and his baserunning. New hitting coach Hensley Meulens should make this a priority – turning Velez into a Major League quality hitter.

Catcher Bengie Molina – in his walk year just in time for the arrival of Buster Posey — slipped a bit after an excellent 2008, and he’s almost assuredly gone as the Giants aren’t expected to try to re-sign him. And why would they? Block the best catching prospect in the game? Uh, maybe not. Molina flashed more power last year, smacking 25 doubles, a triple (how the hell did that happen?) and a career-best 20 homers, but he wasn’t as productive as he was the season before. The fact that he had his worst OBP since 2002 didn’t help matters. The Mets may make a play for Molina, but it’s worth noting that the sluggish catcher hit much better at home (.309 BA, 856 OPS) than he did on the road (.225 BA, 610 OPS). This is definitely some food for thought for those of you in keeper leagues or for Fantasy owners trying to get an early fix on what Molina might be worth in 2010.

This was definitely a season of progress for the Giants, one that earned manager Bruce Bochy and general manager Brian Sabean well deserved contract extensions. Bochy’s fate might be tied to how well Meulens does as far as developing a more patient approach for the Giant hitters; as for Sabean, he’ll be judged by his ability to land an impact bat either through free agency or trade this winter.

We’ll take a look at a few more of the Giant hitters and discuss early hot stove activity in Part III, coming soon.

There hasn’t been much to be overjoyed about so far this season if you’re a Memphis Grizzlies fan. This team has dropped six straight, Allen Iverson is already a major distraction and they have to play Wednesday in Houston, a place where Memphis has lost six straight times.

I wondered about how much better – if at all – Memphis would be with the addition of volume shooters Iverson and Zach Randolph, and the early answer is not at all, as the team is off to its worst start since 2005-06.

Iverson started the year on the sidelines with a torn hammy, missing the first three games. He came back and was unimpressive in three games off the bench and the whining about being a reserve started almost immediately. Now, AI has left the team for personal reasons and is apparently at home in Atlanta. And the way the team is talking, it’s not a sure bet that he’ll be back.

“If we get to that place, and it’s good, then if Allen does come back, then obviously, he has to fit into that place,” said Coach Lionel Hollins. Note the key phrase in this sentence: “if Allen does come back.”

Hell, if his own freaking coach doesn’t know if he’s coming back or not, what’s a Fantasy owner to think?

Iverson is only owned now in just over half of Yahoo! leagues, and I can see that number falling rapidly as his leave of absence extends.

Meanwhile, the defense in Memphis has been a joke. The Grizz are giving up 112 points per game after showing progress in that area last year. Of course, The Answer isn’t the answer to that problem whether he’s there or not.

This team has such a great young core, but the mistakes they made this offseason that everyone seemed able to spot except them are coming back to haunt them already. No, obviously it’s not too late to salvage this season, but Memphis has serious work to do to get off the schneid. And it’s going to have to start with some good old fashioned D.

With Minnesota continuing to struggle, especially defensively (Sunday the T-Wolves let Portland shoot 50 per cent from the field and were outrebounded 49-39), isn’t it time to give someone else a chance to fill in for the injured Kevin Love? Sure, Oleksiy Pecherov had that one big game last week, but he’s disappeared since. And on Sunday, Ryan Hollins saw more action than Pecherov. Might Minny give the young big a chance to start? I’m not suggesting you run out and pick up Hollins, who is clearly still a project, but I’m keeping my eye on this situation. We expected Hollins to be a key bench player for the Wolves, but perhaps he’ll emerge with some value if he gets a chance to start. Deep sleeper alert.

Speaking of the Blazers, coach Nate McMillan has refused to send Steve Blake to the bench, so instead, he’s shifted two-guard Brandon Roy to SF (sending Martell Webster to the bench) so he can finally insert Andre Miller into what is now a three-guard starting lineup. Well, it’s weird, but it’s working as the Blazers have won both games since the change. Roy isn’t off to a great start, and not surprisingly — given all the PG turmoil — he’s struggled with his shot. Sunday, he sunk just 1-of-6 in his worst offensive game of the young season. He didn’t even get to the line once, which really sucks considering he’s been superb from the charity stripe so far, draining a career best 85 per cent. On the plus side, Roy was able to pitch in despite the offensive stinker. He matched his season high with six boards and set a new season high with seven assists. Yes, it’s been a somewhat sluggish start for the hugely popular Roy, but don’t worry – you’ll get a great return on your first round investment soon enough.

Game of the Night

New Orleans, surprising many with their struggles in the early going, visits the Clippers, who are surprising no one with their losing record. However, this is a chance for the Clippers to get back to .500 against a team that is floundering. And they come in to this game hot, having won three straight games to shake off an 0-4 start. Unbelievably, this matches the longest winning streak LA had all of last season. Yes, the Clips are pathetic. But how about some love for Chris Kaman? I grabbed him in the ninth round this year, and so far am loving the results. He is LA’s leading scorer and rebounder and, with Blake Griffin still MIA, Kaman is getting as much PT as he can handle and he’s making the most of it. I’m sort of torn here…I keep cringing when I see the workload he’s tackling, knowing full well that he’s among the most injury-prone men in the game. But how can I help but be overjoyed at all those minutes when Kaman is suddenly the go-to guy in the Clip offense? He’s averaging 16 FGAs per game, a huge boost considering his previous high was 12.5. His FT shooting has even improved (career-best 79.5 per cent) and the big mountain man is scoring a shocking 23 PPG. I’m loving the production, but am wondering if I should sell high. The Hornet D has been pretty sad so far, so Kaman could be in for another big night Monday.

Despite again being saddled with one of the worst offenses in the majors, the San Francisco Giants were able to make great progress in 2009, improving their record by 16 wins and remaining in the playoff hunt until the season’s final week.

For the Giants, it was all about pitching, as a staff led by Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain ranked second in the National League in ERA, BAA, OPS against and WHIP. Hell, even Brad Penny, cut from the Red Sox and signed to a minor league deal by the Giants at the end of August, was brilliant down the stretch – going 4-1, 2.59 in six starts with San Francisco.

That the staff was as good as it was without any contributions from Noah Lowry, a 14-game winner in 2007, but out the past two seasons with injuries, speaks volumes about how good a job they’ve done scouting and drafting pitchers. Lowry is probably done as a Giant, as he’s been removed from the roster and will become a free agent as he tries to revitalize his career elsewhere. Frankly, with all the great young arms already there and the others on the way, they don’t need him.

The offense, on the other hand, was again rather wet noodle-esque, ranking dead last in the NL in OBP and OPS and hitting the second-fewest home runs in the majors. It cost hitting coach Carney Lansford his job and now the task falls to Hensley Meulens, promoted from being the hitting coach at Triple-A, to teach the Giants to take a more patient approach at the plate.

Let’s harp on the poor offense first. Perhaps the easiest to single out as underperforming based on his salary is centrefielder Aaron Rowand, who has regressed each season since he arrived in San Francisco after being signed to what now looks like a disastrous contract. Rowand’s power actually bounced back a tad this year, but come on – it’s pathetic.

His walk rate was down and his strikeout rate was up, and that’s a deadly combo. This right-handed stick had an OPS of just 636 against lefties! WTF? While Rowand looked like a solid waiver wire pickup in late-May — and Tim, as usual, was bang on with that one as Rowand hit .320 and had his best month of the season in June – he really faltered down the stretch with an OPS of 629 in the second half. As the season progressed, his power really waned and by season’s end Rowand wasn’t even a must-own player in NL-only leagues.

There’s talk that he may be headed to the Cubs in exchange for Milton Bradley – who would bring with him to San Francisco a whole different kind of headache, so we’ll see how that plays out. I’m sure the Giants would love to rid themselves of the albatross of a contract that they unwisely gave to Rowand.

Utility infielder Juan Uribe enjoyed a fine bounceback campaign, and was quite productive for the Giants, but he’s a free agent and wants a multi-year deal, so San Francisco would be wise to let him walk. The last thing the Giants can afford to do would be to make another mistake in free agency a la Rowand in 2008 and Edgar Renteria in 2009.

Last year, the Giants threw around a lot of money early in the free agency game, and not all of it was spent wisely. The Renteria signing, in particular, has been a major bust so far. For starters, he’s had a tough time staying healthy in recent seasons, and this year his elbow was a problem for a good chunk of the season, finally necessitating season-ending surgery in September. But this was the worst season of Renteria’s career anyway you look at it. He scored less runs and had less hits than ever before; his power is completely gone; he hit a career worst .250 and struggled through a 635 OPS. Renteria is another right-handed bat that was vulnerable against lefties (629 OPS), and he was brutal after the break (621 OPS), especially in September, when he hit just .116 and had an OPS of 365. Obviously the elbow was a factor, but this dude was signed to help beef up the San Francisco offense – not bring it down. We weren’t overly bullish on Renteria’s prospects for 2009, listing him No. 16 among shortstops in our pre-season rankings, but by season’s end, Renteria wasn’t even a top 30 shortstop, which means that he was only worth owning in deep NL-only leagues. Yikes.

The Giants also tried to beef up the offense at the deadline, acquiring Freddy Sanchez, who was having a fine year for the Pirates. Unfortunately, Sanchez struggled with health issues, and was only able to play 25 games for the Giants over the final two months and change. Regardless, the team recently gave him a two-year extension, so he will get another chance to show what he can do at the keystone corner next season.

Another culprit was Randy Winn, long a dependable hitter, but one who definitely started showing his age in 2009. He had his lowest run total since 2001 and had 10 less extra-base hits than he did in 2008. Overall, this was Winn’s worst season since 2000. The reason? The veteran switch-hitter clearly can no longer hit lefties anymore – his OPS as a right-handed hitter was 384. Uh, ya. Can you say platoon player, please? Anyways, Winn’s a free agent, so it might not be the Giants’ problem anymore. But Winn is yet another Giant who slumped in the second half, with his OPS dropping 100 points after the break. Heading into the season, we had him pegged as a top 70 outfielder, but he was barely a top 90 flyhawk in 2009, which meant that Winn was only useful in NL-only leagues, and even then, probably as a bench player.

I can see it’s going to take more than one part to dissect this team, so we’ll continue this later in the week.

Ty Lawson was a hot pickup in Week One after his great NBA debut, even making an appearance in our first NBA Wire Troll of the season. But let’s take a bit of a chill pill here. While Lawson deserves to be on your watch list and has already exhibited that he’ll be a huge pickup if Chauncey Billups gets hurt, right now he’s only worth rostering in deeper leagues. Tuesday night, for instance, Lawson saw only 13:25 worth of action, even though Denver won easily in Indy. I love the fact that the former Tar Heel has gotten at least one steal in every game so far, so clearly he’ll be a great source of steals once he lands a steady 20 to 25 MPG gig, but like I said, for now, just watch.

We all knew that Kevin Durant was poised for superstardom this year, but how about the leap that Jeff Green has taken? He’s getting seriously heavy minutes this season and has responded brilliantly. Green is employing his perimeter game more, but he’s not simply settling for outside shots – he’s also getting to the line more often. His rebounds and steals are up too, and Green is truly proving to be an across-the-board talent in the early going, so kudos to those of you who drafted him. It’s early, but what a combo: heavy minutes, over 50 per cent shooting from the field, 83.3 per cent from the line, two treys per game, 7 RPG, 2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.3 BPG and over 19 PPG. Wow. Can you say Fantasy stud? And he’ll play the entire season as a 23-year-old! No wonder we were so bullish on the young Thunder corps when we previewed the team in September.

As we expected, Matt Barnes is starting to have an impact off the Magic bench, making him a decent wire target as long as Rashard Lewis is suspended (another six games to serve) and Vince Carter is out. In the last two games, Barnes is starting to get more touches and has picked up the rebounding, assists and blocks while scoring in double figures in both contests. Barnes is averaging 1.5 SPG, but all six of his thefts came in one game, so that’s an anomaly. If you need a short-term boost, Barnes makes for a nice pickup for the next week or two.

Game of the Night

The Golden State Warriors are seeking their first win of the season – one of just three teams still winless so far – and will get a good opportunity Wednesday at home against the Grizzlies, who have only won once in their first four games. Defense is once again the issue in the early going for the Warriors. Last season, they gave up more points than any other NBA team, and through their first two games this year, they’re even worse. Fortunately, the Grizzlies are coughing up even more points than Golden State, so tonight could be a serious offensive bonanza – bring out your fringe Fantasy players! Look for a big night from Monta Ellis, who’s off to a fine start. He’s taken a bigger role in the offense, and although he no longer shoots many from downtown – he’s used to put up almost two 3-ball attempts per game, but has only hoisted one try in the first two games – he’s improved his scoring by being more aggressive. Ellis is getting to the line more often, upping his average to 22.5 PPG along the way. It’s a tradeoff Fantasy owners are probably willing to take, although having a guard that doesn’t sink 3-pointers does force you to seek treys from a non-traditional source.

A couple of months ago, we pegged Casey Kotchman as our Daily Dump and that was a bit of a slam dunk. While he saw a bit more action down the stretch, Kotchman continued to scuffle in Beantown, batting just .214 with a 545 OPS in September, faring only slightly better in his three games in October.

In the ALDS, he was a complete non-factor, going hitless in his only at-bat. Then again, it’s not as if the left-handed hitter is Mr. Dangerous off the bench with a 760 OPS vs. righties. Oooh…better bring in a lefty specialist to deal with that. Clearly, the Braves got the better of this deadline deal as Adam LaRoche provided a real spark for Atlanta, while Kotchman languished on the bench in Boston. No longer a full-time player – and definitely not threatening to become one in Boston – even Kotchman’s legendary walk rate dipped this season.

He’s obviously a much better player than he showed down the stretch, and he’s only 26 so there could still be a very big season or two in his bat, but Kotchman needs PT to perform. And he won’t get much of that in Boston, barring injuries. So, barring a change in his situation, go ahead and scratch Kotchman off your cheat sheets for 2010 unless you’re in a very deep AL-only league.

We’ve already done our 2009 wrap up of the Atlanta Braves, but I wanted to talk about how their catchers did this year.

Quick, among players who spent the entire season with the Braves, who led the team in slugging percentage? Chipper Jones? Not even close. Brian McCann? Good guess, but no cigar. Try back-up catcher David Ross. Signed as a free agent in December to a two-year deal for what now seems like a bargain price of $3 million, Ross enjoyed his finest season since 2006 (I clearly underestimated his ability in my 2008 Free Agency Report).

Obviously in his back-up capacity to McCann – one of the best backstops in the biz – he didn’t see enough action to be Fantasy worthy except in extremely deep NL-only leagues. But in terms of his real baseball value, he was a very reliable bat, allowing the Braves to spell McCann a bit more often this season. Ross was quite productive, and despite a decline in his walk rate, he enjoyed a very good OBP. Strangely, the right-handed hitting Ross has been somewhat of an anomaly the past couple of seasons, performing better against righties than lefties. This season, the splits were downright shocking as he recorded a 996 OPS against righties – almost 350 points higher than what he did against southpaws. You’d think this would make him a valuable bat off the bench, but the Braves generally only carried two catchers, so using Ross as a PHer would have almost forced them to take McCann out of the game.

As mentioned, Ross is signed through 2010, and McCann isn’t going anywhere, so Ross will have to reprise his role as a backup. But should McCann suffer an injury, Ross could be a very strong pickup, so he needs to be on your watch list for 2010.

Speaking of McCann, when we last checked in on him, he had just finished scuffling through a down month of August. While he turned things around in September (four homers, 20 RBI, .275 BA), he still didn’t exactly finish on fire. October was no hell, either (2-for-9, but a pair of ribbies). Overall, McCann did not have quite as good as year as he did in 2008, and his strike zone judgment in particular suffered, a key reason why he lost 20 points in batting.

His number dropped in the second half, which is quite typical for catchers who tend to wear down as the season progresses, but McCann still delivered at least 35 doubles for the third straight season and he put up a career best in RBI, so Fantasy owners can’t be too disappointed. Still, when looking at the big picture, it’s hard not to be impressed with what McCann has accomplished in his career at the tender age of 25. He recently had his high school number retired, and the way things are going in his big league career, the Braves may one day follow suit.

Obviously, McCann will again be one of the first catchers off the board in drafts next spring.

Raymond Felton continues to struggle from the floor as an NBA point guard. His FG percentage has dipped in each of his three seasons, and judging by his performance Monday (4-for-12), he’s not about to start draining them soon. The fact that this stinker came against New Jersey – one of the worst teams in the NBA as far as opponents’ FG percentage goes – makes it even more alarming. Felton showed signs of life when he shot the ball very well down the stretch last season, but he has not carried that over into this campaign. Felton’s six assists to 14 turnovers in the last two games can’t be thrilling you, either.

D.J. Augustin has a chance to make hay with Felton struggling, and he’s sunk 46.4 per cent of his shots in the past three games. Note that Augustin almost played as many minutes as Felton did on Monday. This could brew into a position battle very soon – especially with the Bobcats’ offense in such desperate need for a kick start. As long as the team is doing okay (2-2 so far), coach Larry Brown probably won’t rock the boat, but if the Cats slip into a losing skid, there could be changes.

Not much attention has been paid to Chuck Hayes in the wake of Yao Ming’s injury. While guys like Luis Scola and Carl Landry have been hyped, no one is talking about Hayes. Well, have you noticed that it has been Hayes getting the starts at centre for the Rockets? Okay, so he’s not going to be lighting it up with 20-point games, but he’s a solid rebounder who will pitch in given the minutes he’s been getting. Monday, Hayes shot very well (6-for-8), scoring 12 points with nine rebounds, three steals and three assists. You could do worse from your centre spot, so I suggest at least putting Hayes on your watch list. Just saying…

Brook Lopez was a ridiculously hot commodity during the drafting season, and with good reason – he’s poised to take a major step forward. So far, so good for the sophomore centre, but we need to remember that he’s a very young big man, and with that comes inconsistency. So you’ve got to rein in your expectations somewhat and learn to take the good with the bad. Monday, for instance, as the Nets fell to 0-4 on the season, Lopez shot very well, going 8-for-14 for 18 points while swatting another four shots. Fantastic, right? But then you see that he only managed five rebounds, failed to get an assist or steal and worst of all – committed seven turnovers. Gulp. That’ll leave a mark.

Didn’t it seem like Darius Songaila might have a chance to have value with the Hornets this year? Uh, maybe not. Now that Emeka Okafor is healthy, Songaila isn’t seeing nearly enough PT off the bench to be worth tracking. In fact, he’s never been more useless.

The Sacramento Kings finally busted their victory cherry Monday, beating the equally woeful Memphis Grizzlies in overtime. Andres Nocioni has been quiet so far, but he did pitch in with a pair of treys plus two blocks on Monday as he managed a 13-point game. Not bad, but he’s seeing less PT than needed to provide a serious boost for your team. Has he already been passed on the depth chart by rookie Omri Casspi? Given the amount of minutes Casspi’s gotten the past couple of games, that seems to be the direction this team is headed. I’d recommend giving Nocioni another couple of games and then cutting bait if he doesn’t start getting closer to 25 MPG.

Tuesday’s Action

The Jazz is off to its worst start in seven years and things don’t get any easier with a trip to Dallas on Tuesday night. What’s going on with Utah? Well, for starters, the defense has been atrocious. The Jazz D wasn’t great last year, but so far this season it’s been ugly, with the team giving up more than 108 PPG. On offense, team leader Deron Williams has been struggling with his shot. Two years ago, D-Will shot 50.7 per cent, but last year he slipped to 47.1 per cent. Okay, maybe the ankle was a problem last season, but he’s over that now, right? Well, he’s hit just 14-of-39 (35.9 per cent) in his last two games, dropping him to 42.6 per cent for the season. It’s early, but this is a troubling trend for those of you who spent your first rounder on Williams.

I’ll be interested to see how the Wizards — who are definitely improved so far, despite all the injuries — match up against the Cavs in Cleveland Tuesday. Antawn Jamison won’t be back for another couple of weeks, but Washington will get Caron Butler (bruised left kneecap) back, so make sure he’s in your lineup. Butler’s return will likely mean that Randy Foye heads back to the bench, while Mike Miller returns to SG after starting at SF last game.

Has it only been two years since the Diamondbacks last tasted the postseason? Last year, they slipped to 82-80, but were still in the mix for a playoff spot, falling just short of another division title in a weak NL West. This season, however, Arizona plummeted to the division basement, finishing 70-92 – the third-worst record in franchise history.

What went wrong?

Personally, I think it was a combination of things: the bullpen lacked a solid bridge from the starters to the closer, especially after some mid-season deals; as strong as the rotation was, the back end was brutal; and the attack was somewhat one dimensional, and didn’t feature enough consistent threats in the lineup.

Obviously the fact that ace Brandon Webb was only able to make one start because of shoulder issues was a deathblow. He’s been an absolute stud in recent years, and removing him from the rotation watered down the back end. The good news is that the team is expected to pick up his 2010 option, and he’ll be healthy and ready to go next year. The return of Webb in and of itself should help get this team back to .500.

Of course, while Zona may get Webb back, it may lose No. 2 starter Doug Davis, a free agent this winter. Davis may re-sign to stay in the desert, but it’s unclear for now. He had a strong first half, but got cuffed around after the break. Davis struggled with home run problems all season long, something that might be helped somewhat with a move away from Arizona (even though 60 per cent of the long balls he allowed this year came on the road).

Worse yet, the club’s top pitching prospect, Jarrod Parker, will miss all of 2010 after Tommy John surgery, taking him out of the mix for the rotation. Parker likely needed another full season in the minors, but he might have been knocking on the door by late 2010. Now, we’ll have to wait at least another year before he’s anywhere near ready to help.

Even without Webb, the front end of the rotation was a strength. Dan Haren hurled 24 quality starts in 33 tries, enjoying yet another superb season and setting a career high in strikeouts along the way.

Davis wasn’t always sharp, but always gave the team a chance to win. And Jon Garland was a workhorse before being dispatched to the Dodgers for infielder Tony Abreu, who will be in the mix for the starting second base job next Spring.

In the bullpen, Chad Qualls was more or less a success in his first full season as a closer, although it was not without its drama as he was quite inconsistent at times. Still, the fact that he only blew five of his 29 save chances (after blowing eight of 17 last year) has to qualify as an improvement. However, Qualls was more susceptible to the long ball and his K/9 slipped – not the kind of thing you want to see from your closer. He did a great job vs. righties (.214 BAA), but lefties hit almost .300 against the righty.

Qualls went down at the end of August with a busted kneecap, prompting the Snakes to turn to untested Juan Gutierrez to close. Gutierrez was a perfect 8-for-8 after Qualls went down, and that may prompt the somewhat budget-conscious D-Backs to deal Qualls this winter. If Qualls is traded, by the way, Fantasy owners need to note that his ERA away from Chase Field was 4.74 this year. Just some food for thought there.

Clay Zavada was a revelation, but after his ridiculously good start, he was vulnerable to the long ball, hurting his second-half results. Still, he showed enough to suggest that he can handle a late-inning role in 2010.

On offense, first baseman Brandon Allen took a big step forward as a prospect this season, showing tremendous power and a great batting eye upon arriving at Triple-A Reno after being acquired from the White Sox in the Tony Pena deal. Unfortunately, that advanced batting eye was a rarity, considering his professional experience so far. Allen is currently in the AFL, trying to work out the kinks as he eyes a potential starting job at first base next season for Arizona.

Over at the hot corner, Mark Reynolds was a monster, enjoying a career year with the dingers and steals, and if you played in some kind of surreal Fantasy league in which strikeouts were a good thing, he was clearly the MVP. Reynolds already held the major league mark for strikeouts in a season (204 in 2008), but he shattered that mark by 19 whiffs this season. How he maintained a BA even as high as .260 is a mystery. That BABIP correction is going to hurt, big guy. Still, he was only big leaguer this season to top 40 homers, 100 RBI and 20 thefts. Sweet.

Outfielder Chris Young had a very forgettable season, and even needed to be farmed out for a while. But he came back at the end of August with a vengeance, smacking over half of his 15 homers in the season’s final four weeks. Let’s hope this bodes well for a recovery in 2010, because let’s not forget this dude was a near 30-30 guy just two years ago.

Another lost year for a D-Back outfielder was had by Conor Jackson, as he contracted Valley Fever virus and played just 30 games. The team is going to see if he can stay healthy in Winter Ball before committing to him for 2010.

Still in the outfield, Eric Byrnes is the highest paid player on the team after signing that ill-fated three-year, $30-million deal in 2007, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and has severely underperformed when active. His future in Arizona is also very much in doubt. The Snakes may try to deal him or buy him out, but will need to eat some coin whatever they decide.

With the World Series well underway, I’m going to start taking a look at how teams did in 2009 as we ramp up for the 2010 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit.

The Atlanta Braves had a lot of things go right in 2009. Paced by Jair Jurrjens and Javier Vasquez, the rotation was back to being a major strength, leading the National League with 99 quality starts. In mid-September, the Braves went on a major run, winning 15 of 17 to pull within two games of the Wild Card lead.

Unfortunately, the prevailing memory of 2009 will be a final week collapse in which the team lost a season-worst six games, including getting swept by the woeful Nats, eliminating any hopes of getting back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

The Braves did enjoy a 14-game improvement to finish 86-76, good for third place in the NL East after a fourth-place showing in 2008, but there are plenty of concerns heading into 2010.

Team speed needs to be addressed; when Matt Diaz – yes, Matt Diaz, who had never stolen more than five bases in a season prior to 2009 — is your leading basestealer, you know that’s not a team strength.

How much does Chipper Jones have left in the tank is another worry. Jones endured an 0-for-19 slump in the final week to finish at a career-worst .264 (exactly 100 points below his 2008 average, which won him a batting title). But he’s still a dangerous power hitter, right? Uh, maybe not. Jones’ streak of 14 straight seasons of 20 homers or more to begin his career – a record he shares with another great third baseman, Eddie Mathews – was snapped.

Another concern the team faces is lagging attendance. Yes, the economy could very well be responsible, but it’s surprising that such an improved team would suffer a 12 per cent decline in attendance, drawing their lowest numbers of fans since 2003.

And 2010, regardless of the outcome, will truly be the end of an era as Bobby Cox has declared that he will retire at the end of next season. Wouldn’t it be perfect if he could go out a winner?

The Braves are no longer one of the biggest spenders in the game, but they aren’t the Florida Marlins, either. Atlanta is about to sign Tim Hudson – who made a very successful return in September from Tommy John surgery – to a three-year extension, a move that will help solidify the rotation for the next few seasons. Hudson is 34, but his impressive work down the stretch proved he still has plenty left to offer.

Before Hudson’s return, one of the key members of the rotation in the first half was Derek Lowe, but we started warning you to sell high fairly early in the season. He still looked like a top 25 starter when we did our SP rankings in late June, but Lowe was simply ugly down the stretch, recording a 5.05 ERA with a .335 BAA after the break. Owners will look at that nice 15-10 record – the fourth time Lowe has earned 15 or more wins – and think that they’re getting a quality starter, but don’t be fooled.

The Braves already have five starters under contract for 2010, so Vazquez could be dealt this offseason as the team looks to beef up the attack. That would still leave Lowe as the No. 4 starter for 2010, but I’d be very wary of drafting him too early next Spring.

Speaking of beefing up the attack, while Diaz’s dozen steals were a nice bonus for owners, it was his hitting prowess that was most impressive. In fact, no NL right fielder who had at least 100 plate appearances put up a higher BA or on-base percentage than Diaz. His massively improved ability to draw a walk made him a legitimate fantasy option, especially in leagues where OBP counts. Diaz has always hit lefties well, but this season’s .412 BA/1104 OPS against them was just sick. And after struggling severely vs. righties last year (.159 BA), Diaz was more than passable (.255) against them in 2009.

Of course, the Braves have more outfield help on the way in the form of Jason Heyward, considered the best prospect in the game. However, a leg injury has forced him out of the AFL, which is unfortunate, because the Braves hoped to find out if he was ready for a job in the big leagues. Even so, this kid could very well be starting for Atlanta at some point next season. Expect him to provide some much-needed power for the Braves; his upside is off the charts.

In the infield, Martin Prado is a good sleeper candidate. He took over the keystone corner from the struggling Kelly Johnson, and will be the everyday second baseman for Atlanta in 2010. He’s a proven .300 hitter, and could approach 20 homers as he enters his prime power years.

The bullpen wasn’t as good as the rotation, but it wasn’t chopped liver, either, ranking fifth in the NL in ERA. That’s even more impressive when you consider that Jorge Campillo – who made 25 starts for the Braves in 2008 and was pretty darned good at times — missed most of the season with rotator cuff problems. He was a candidate for the fifth starter job this Spring, but wound up pitching only out of the bullpen for the brief time he was healthy. Campillo has since been removed from the 40-man roster, so it’s doubtful he’s in the team’s plans for 2010.

One of the nicest surprises out of the bullpen was the performance of workhorse Peter Moylan. Not only did the Aussie break the team record for appearances in a season with 87, but the groundball specialist was extremely effective, inducing a dozen double plays and going the entire season without yielding a single long ball.

Overall for the Braves, this was a fine rebound season that was somewhat tainted by a very crappy final week.

BY ROB REATH

Intangibles. That was word Philadelphia Flyer General Manager Paul Holmgren used in justifying the lengthy contract he gave his captain Mike Richards. At the time, many suggested Richards was too young, not developed enough, and hadn’t achieved enough. That’s what some people said, anyways. Those close to the situation, who were well-versed with both the game and the player saw it differently.

Holmgren knew what he had on his hands — a keeper. He had a player who had won at every level before the NHL; a player who hated to lose; a mild-mannered person who possessed a burning desire to win; a player who would stand up to anyone and anything when it mattered.

It didn’t take long before the proof started showing. After former coach Ken Hitchcock had lost the dressing room in Philly following a bad loss, Richards commented “Typical Philadelphia Flyers game — we got the lead and then folded.” Vice President Bobby Clarke defended Richards, suggesting that players are the first to notice such things. No one characterized Richards as a coach killer because they knew better.

Richards’ work ethic and drive have excited every coach he’s played for. The point he was making was that there was a problem was not being addressed and while it was ugly and risky to talk about it, Richards spoke up.  
 
He also took a shot at Holmgren during a playoff post-mortem press conference, stating that he thought it was learning year for the GM too. Richards was referring to the incident where the Flyers’ salary cap problems had forced them to keep budding star Claude Giroux from practicing with the team.

Now, Holmgren casts a long shadow in NHL both as an intimidating fighter during his playing days and in his influence as an executive. Very few have thrown stones in his direction, fairly or unfairly. Stranger still, that criticism would appear from a player he could easily trade or otherwise have an impact on his career. Holmgren declined comment on the remark, but did mention that it was desirable to have a cushion for the cap

Holmgren took the comment in stride once again because those who know Richards also know comment like that were in the best interest of the team. It also signaled that Richards has claimed that team as his own, and everyone in the Philly organization is pleased as punch about it, from owner Ed Snider to Clarke, Holmgren, and present coach John Stevens.

One question remains: Where does Richards rank among some of the legendary Flyer leaders?

He scores, he fights, he sets up his teammates to score, he hits and kills penalties (and is often a threat to score short handed), and just recently has been vilified by the Philly media for not answering their questions. This occurred after he asked them not to keep bringing up a partying episode that occurred last season that many felt resulted in the trading of Joffrey Lupul.

Since then, Richards has been responding with one-word answers, if at all. He now joins the ranks of Clarke, Eric Lindros, Ron Hextall, Peter Forsberg, and many other Flyer leaders who were flayed in the Philly media over any human flaw that could be found Last weekend, when Richards nailed Florida Panther David Booth with a clean hit, it was the Philly press crying for a suspension the loudest. The media doesn’t like him there, but the players, fans and his bosses love him.
 
Congratulations, Mike. You are now truly a great Flyer captain and leader! Once the local press turns on you in Philly, it often means they just don’t have anything to write about and therefore you are doing great!

For the second straight year, I was invited to join Charity Stripe, a H2H Fantasy basketball league featuring various sports media types from outlets such as TSN, CBC, Hoopsworld, Yahoo!, RapsHQ, 82games and Rotowire. The draft was held last week, and I was picking out of the dreaded (this year, anyways) five slot. As part of the 2009-10 RotoRob NBA Draft Kit and to help you with your upcoming draft, I will explain my draft, round by round, and discuss various highlights and surprises of each round.

Round One

I was really, really hoping that Kevin Durant would fall to me here, but unfortunately — thanks to my recent Podcast — the dude picking in front of me knew this. And so I was stuck between the hated Kobe Bryant and the riskier pick – with more potential reward, albeit – of Danny Granger.

Given Granger’s recent injury history, I opted for the durable Bryant, despite my distaste for having to root for him. Sure, his name may be bigger than his slowly declining numbers these days, but Kobe still provides plenty of points, he’s a great FT shooter and will be a very good source of steals. There’s no real downside to owning Bryant, so I had to bite the bullet.

LeBron James went first over Chris Paul, and you can make an argument either way. Personally, I would have taken CP3, despite word that the Hornets are determined to reduce Paul’s minutes this year, but these two are both slam dunks.

I was surprised to see Dwight Howard go seventh overall; I had him pegged as an early second rounder, maybe reaching for him at the end of the first round. Brandon Roy, meanwhile, lasted to end of the first round, and I think that’s fantastic value.

Round Two

The second round started more or less as expected; I thought Tim Duncan went a bit early at No. 16, but I was quite pleased that Joe Johnson fell to me at No. 20. Yes, it’s another guard for me, but I was surprised to see that Yahoo! had him qualified at both backcourt positions. The beauty of Johnson is that he racks up a good amount of dimes from the off-guard position, so I wasn’t forced to reach for a true PG before I needed to. That’s why I was stoked to see he qualified there anyways. Yes, the Hawks’ addition of Jamal Crawford may affect Johnson’s touches, but when the two are on the floor at the same time, opponents are going to have a far tougher time double-teaming Johnson.

Here’s another big scorer for my team who will light it up from downtown to take care of the 3-pointers made category. The downside: he’s going to hurt my FG percentage and won’t offer anything in the way of blocks.

The first big reach of this round came right after my pick, when Jason Kidd went 21st. To me, Kidd is a third rounder these days and the fact that Devin Harris was still on the board made this pick all the more surprising. Brook Lopez going 23rd was an even bigger surprise – but, unlike J-Kidd, at least this is a reach that can be justified by Lopez’s tremendous upside. Apparently, everyone is grabbing Lopez in the second round this year.

Antawn Jamison capped the second round, and that’s another pick I wasn’t fond of — and that was before news hit that he’d miss several weeks. Better PF options like David West, Josh Smith and even Elton Brand are still on the board.

Round Three

Rashard Lewis is the first pick of this round (25th overall), and that’s far too early for a player who will be sitting out the first 10 games of the season thanks to a drug-related suspension. I wouldn’t have considered Lewis until as late as the fifth round given that he’ll miss at least 12 per cent of the season. The very next pick is Troy Murphy, and I believe that’s extremely early as well. Sure, he had a fantastic season last year, but many believe he maxed out, and I could see him still sitting there another round from now. Several of the picks this round seemed early, but those two stood out.

Needing to address my frontcourt, I was very happy to find Carmelo Anthony – a second rounder to me – still sitting there at No. 29. Yet another scorer here – clearly, putting up points won’t be a challenge for my team – and Melo also provides with me with some much-needed rebounding and will be a decent source of steals. Unfortunately, his FG percentage could hurt me and he’s not going to help me in blocks.

Right after I took Anthony, Harris was taken – a very strong pick this late. Other picks I really liked this round from a value perspective included Kevin Martin at 32, Paul Pierce at 33 and Rajon Rondo at 35. Jason Richardson was the final pick of the third round, but that was unnecessary – he could have sat there for another round and a half or so.

Round Four

I’m surprised that David West is still sitting there through three rounds, so I target him with my pick, but I don’t get anywhere near him as he flies off the board with pick 37 – a superb selection for this late. Vince Carter goes next – another great value this late, and then things settle in a bit. Shawn Marion is taken early at 41 – I believed he’d still be there a round later and once he goes, I’m thinking about nabbing Brand with the 44th overall pick. Unfortunately, he goes a pick before me, so although I had planned to build the frontcourt, Derrick Rose is too tempting to not pluck this late.

Yes, I’m getting guard-heavy here and don’t have a single PF or C through four rounds, but Rose gives me a true point guard who can deliver the dimes and yet more scoring power – I’m pretty sure if nothing else, I’m going to be heavily outscoring my opponents on a weekly basis. The athletic Rose should also pitch in with steals and FG percentage. Unfortunately, 3-pointers is not his forte, and taking him still leaves my team sadly lacking in blocks.

LaMarcus Aldridge goes at 46, a pick I really like and one I considered from a team needs perspective, but again, I couldn’t let Rose slip by. Point guards make up the final two picks of the round, with Jameer Nelson going somewhat early at 47 and Baron Davis going somewhat late at 48. That B-Diddy pick could be huge.

Round Five

The first player off the board this round is Marcus Camby – a shockingly early selection of such an injury-prone player. I wasn’t going to touch him for another round and half at least, and it wouldn’t have surprised me had he sunk even lower than that. Carlos Boozer goes 51st – nice value for this spot, assuming he doesn’t get hurt as usual or get dealt somewhere that negatively affects his Fantasy performance. Andrea Bargnani is taken next, and it could be a round too early, but there’s a decidedly Toronto-centric influence among this league, so I shouldn’t be surprised.

At 53, I’m eyeing Tony Parker, but my frontcourt is severely lacking, so I take Rudy Gay. More scoring power here and more steals, but Gay will also help me in boards. Unfortunately, my percentages take a hit with this selection.

Andris Biedrins and Al Horford are the next two picks as the run on centres – a run I have ignored, yet grown increasingly worried about – continues. I believe each of these picks is around one round or more too early, but I do understand the need to reach for size at this juncture in the game.

Mr. Eva Longoria finally goes next – a fantastic pick at No. 56, and then Mehmet Okur is taken 58th – also a wonderful pick, and one I had considered before opting for Gay.

Round Six

Stephen Jackson was still sitting there as we began this round, and despite the drama and crappy FG percentage, this dude produces, so was I targeting him. Unfortunately, he went the pick before me, leaving me scrambling for other options.

Anthony Randolph was the first player selected this round at No. 61. I thought this was early, but totally not surprising considering all the hype. Let’s hope for his owners’ sake that he’s not the 2009-10 version of Andray Blatche. Nene went next, and this was a great pick, taking yet another quality centre off the board, much to my chagrin. Al Harrington went shortly after this, right on target, and then Andrew Bynum was taken, a wee bit early I thought, but this could be just fine if he stays healthy for once. That was followed by another big man, Emeka Okafor, and then the S-Jax pick – tremendously value this late in the draft.

I need a centre badly, so I opted for Zach Randolph, who qualifies at both the four and the five. This gives me a legitimate rebounder, and yes, yet another scorer. He should give my FG percentage a much-needed kick in the pants, but could hurt my FT shooting. Unfortunately, Z-Bo is a double-double machine who doesn’t help in blocks and he won’t be contributing in 3-pointers either. Randolph was probably my first reach, but my team was looking way too small, and I had allowed the centre run to pass me by while focusing on other things (probably shiny things on my floor).

The second last pick of this round (71st overall) was John Salmons – another superb selection at this juncture.

Round Seven

Lou Williams was taken first this round, 73rd overall, and considering he’s never been a starter before, I think this is a risky pick. Established PGs like Andre Miller, T.J. Ford and Mike Bibby are still on the board and developing PGs Mike Conley, Mario Chalmers, Aaron Brooks, Rodney Stuckey, Raymond Felton, Ramon Sessions and Nate Robinson are also all still available, so going with Williams could be a reach.

Two picks later, Ben Gordon is taken — a fantastic pick this late in the draft. I had been looking at him, and that leaves me torn between Jason Terry and Eric Gordon. I opt for Terry and his PG/SG eligibility; he’ll bring me 3-pointers and more scoring (!), but also will help in steals. Of course, he offers no rebounding or blocks and I’m left swearing to myself that I will address these cats…soonish.

Blake Griffin goes next. Too early for my taste, but I can totally understand taking the chance on that upside. This could be a fantastic pick. Or not. I would prefer Boris Diaw, who went next; that’s a very good pick in the middle rounds here. Eric Gordon was next off the board (I was shocked he was still there), and I believe this is also a wonderful selection this late.

A couple of picks late, perennial sleeper J.R. Smith was plucked We’ll see. Given that he’ll be suspended for the first seven games of the season, I would have waited on him at least another round, but this could be a good selection if Smith doesn’t do something stupid, as he is wont to do. The rest of the round consists of high-upside players going a bit early, but I can see taking Greg Oden here. Leandro Barbosa 84th overall is a too early, I think. Yes, he’s a good sleeper and many expect him to bounce back in a big way this year, but I’m not crazy about this pick.

Round Eight

Bibby is the second pick of this round (86th overall) and it feels early. Hell, Andre Miller is still sitting there if it’s dimes you’re after. Guess that owner really needed the treys. Jason Thompson goes next; guess that 20/20 game the other night sure jacked him up the sleeper list. I like Thompson, but it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t have stuck around for another round or so.

Shaquille O’Neal is the next pick, and again this feels early. But centres have been disappearing and I’m having my own issues with big men, so what the hell am I going to say? Still, I would have preferred Andrew Bogut, Chris Kaman or Spencer Hawes here. Of course, Bogut is taken with the very next pick, so there you go.

Paul Millsap, someone I’m looking at, is taken with pick 91, and I think this may turn out to be a huge selection. I’m up next, and still needs bigs, but again, I can’t resist the fact that Andre Miller is still there. I help myself in assists, steals and scoring with this pick, but he’s not a three-point shooter and I am still sadly lacking in blocks. Uh ya….I’ll deal with that later.

Joakim Noah is the next pick, and how soon he’s taken surprises me. I didn’t expect him to go for another two, maybe three rounds. Another big off the boards. Lamar Odom is the last player selected in this round (96) and that’s the kind of guy I could have used. Nice pick.

Round Nine

The first pick of this round raised a few eyebrows – Kevin Love? This would normally be a perfect time to take the second-year big man for the Wolves, but with news emerging a couple of days before the draft that he broke his hand and would require surgery that should sideline him for six-to-eight weeks, this is a gutsy call. I might have taken him in the last round, but there are options out there that can help you now, not two months from now.

If that pick surprised me, I was even more shocked when Anthony Morrow was the next player taken. Morrow as a top 100 pick? No. I think he’s a fringe draft worthy player, perhaps a decent gamble as a last round flier, but surely he’d still be there in the last round. You have to understand that there are still consistent big scorers like Josh Howard and Allen Iverson on the board at this time. Point guards like Conley and Chalmers are still sitting there. Potential breakout players like Michael Beasley and Thaddeus Young are still available. Quality bigs like Kaman and Hawes can still be had. This is no time to be taking Anthony freaking Morrow and all the Don Nelson-induced headaches that go along with owning him. Phew. I feel better now.

In fact, the bigs start dropping then and there when the next three picks are Hawes, Brad Miller and my pick, Kaman. I got sucked into drafting Kaman last year on an auto-pick glitch, but he was actually pretty good for me – until he got hurt, as usual. Supposedly healthy this year, I’m counting on him boosting my FG percentage, giving me some much-needed blocks and helping my rebounding. Of course, Kaman won’t be doing anything in the way of 3-pointers, steals or assists, but I think I’m covered in those areas.

Two picks later, Thad Young is taken, and I think he could provide tremendous value from this slot. Immediately following him, Iverson is grabbed – 104th overall. When was the last time you thought AI had a chance to deliver great value relative to his draft slot? It could easily happen this season.

Stephen Curry is taken next, and while I am a big fan of this kid, I don’t see it happening this year for him. I like Curry as a 13th, maybe 14th round flier based on the tremendous potential, but not in the ninth round. Chalmers is the next pick, and that could be huge. Kudos.

Round 10

The first pick in this round is Roy Hibbert – great upside, but also a great risk. That’s immediately followed by Chris Andersen, also a bit early, but if you needs blocks, you’re now set. Two picks later, Marvin Williams goes at No. 112. I think this could be a wonderful value pick. Johnny Flynn is taken next – too early, but the very next pick is fantastic – although not without its own risks, as Beasley is taken 114th overall. If not for his summer of rehab, he’s got to be a top 100 pick, maybe going as early as the eighth round.

Felton goes next, and I like this one, too. I’m up next, and once again can’t resist who I feel is clearly the top available player – Josh Howard. I am finding time and time again in this draft one particular player who slips several rounds falling to me, and I’m overlooking team needs to take the best available player. JoHo gives me yet another scorer, who will also pitch in with 3-pointers and steals. This could hurt my FG percentage a bit and won’t provide any assistance with assists, but I had to do it.

Two picks later (118), Conley is finally taken. This is great, great value at this stage. Stuckey is taken next, and that’s also a very strong pick.

Round 11

The first few picks of this round go more or less according to plan, and I didn’t have an issue with any of them. In fact, I like the Grant Hill (122) and Andrei Kirilenko (123) picks from a value perspective. My pick is two slots away and I desperately need a big man. I’m torn between taking a chance on the perpetually day-to-day Jermaine O’Neal and the upside of sophomore Marc Gasol. Thankfully, the decision is removed when JO is plucked with the pick before me. Gasol it is. This gives me a rebounder and shot blocker who will also provide a nice boost to my FG percentage. He’ll probably hurt my FT percentage and obviously won’t be bringing me any treys, but I needed Gasol on my team badly.

The next two picks are Channing Frye – hate it – and Brooks – love it. Frye is a deep sleeper who could surprise, but I wouldn’t have done anything but take a last round flier on him. Brooks is poised for a breakout year, and will return serious value from the 127 slot. Next up is Tyson Chandler, and I don’t like it. I just think he’s a shell of his former self now and I’m not sure he’s going to ever return to being a star.

I’m not thrilled with the next pick either – Chris Duhon at 129. There are better PG options still available. For instance, two picks later, Kirk Hinrich is taken, and I see him providing much more value than Duhon this year. Antonio McDyess rounds out what is mostly an underwhelming 11th round.

Round 12

Kendrick Perkins is the second pick of this round, 134th overall, and I think that’s a solid pick as one of the few dependable big men remaining. I also like the Al Thornton selection, two picks later, even though there’s talk he’ll be coming off the bench. I’ve got pick 140, and I’m looking at a pair of Pistons – Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. I need another forward option and Prince offers a more well-rounded game – I’ve already got enough scoring power. Prince will pitch in on the boards, offer me a bit of scoring and some assists. Unfortunately, his FG percentage may bring me down a tad, but overall he does a bit of everything, so I opt for the well-rounded player here.

Two picks later, Francisco Garcia is selected. Normally, this would a tremendous steal at this stage of the draft, but I guess the owner picking him hadn’t heard that Garcia would miss several months with an injury. Anyways, he has since rectified that pick by dumping Garcia and picking up Zydrunas Ilgauskas on waivers. The next pick is D.J. Augustin, and that could be huge with the subsequent injury to Raja Bell. I liked Augustin here regardless of the fact his role was unclear, but with Bell out, this is a serious bonus.

The final pick of the round is Sessions, and despite the Gomes hype, I think Sessions is going to be an extremely valuable player before all is said and done.

Round 13

As we neared the end of the draft, I expected to start seeing more fliers. And it begins right away with Joel Przybilla. If Oden keeps fouling out of every game or getting hurt, Przybilla will again be a rebound machine. Two picks later, Rip is stripped off the board. How the mighty have fallen – Hamilton as the 147th overall pick? Yes, there are concerns about how he’s going to get his touches with Gordon in town, but I think this is a super value pick this late. Kudos.

Danilo Gallinari is taken next – another fine sleeper selection. Up next, I choose to go big again, grabbing the finally healthy Brendan Haywood. I’m seeking boards, blocks and FG percentage with this pick. He’ll hurt my FT percentage, doesn’t sink 3-pointers and isn’t much of a scorer, but that’s not what I need.

Two picks later, Yi Jianlian goes with the 151st selection. Another super sleeper here – this could be massive. Next is Tracy McGrady. I know – what a headache, but if you get half a season out of him, this could be an excellent return on your investment from this late slot. Definitely worth the flier.

The next pick is the deepest sleeper of all – DeJuan Blair. Yes, there’s tremendous potential here and he could surprise many, but where does the PT come from? To me, Blair is a better waiver wire selection. This is one gutsy sleeper pick.

Next up, Hakim Warrick is taken with the 154th pick. This is another fine sleeper selection. I’m not as thrilled with Mikael Pietrus as a sleeper, however. He might be somewhat valuable while Lewis serves his suspension, but I have my doubts.

Round 14

The final round opens with the selection of Randy Foye. What a great last round pick – despite the uncertainty of his role, he’s got so much untapped potential. Next up, Eddie House is taken, and I don’t see him as a draft-worthy player. Need a boost of treys? Rudy Fernandez is still available, so are Peja Stojakovic and Roger Mason Jr., and I think all three of them bring more to the table than House.

Three picks later, at 161 overall, Jamal Crawford finally goes off the board. I was wondering when this would happen and had him targeted if he was still there. What a splendid pick for the last round. Three picks after that, it’s time for my last selection. I opt for a rook, James Harden from OKC, who strikes me as an across-the-board contributor. I think he’s going to surprise some people this year. At least I freaking hope he does.

And the very final pick of the draft is another rookie, New Jersey’s Terrence Williams. This is a fine sleeper selection, as T-Will has drawn rave reviews in training camp and could also surprise people. He’ll have plenty of opportunity to do so on a weak Net squad.

Overall, I think my team is a bit guard heavy. I’m going to have to scour the wire for rebounding and blocks, but big men tend to emerge as in-season possibilities quite often. I’m confident I will rarely be outscored and I should do quite fine in assists and 3-pointers.

I think the keys for my team will be Kobe being Kobe for at least 80 games, D-Rose taking the expected leap into elite PG status, Melo producing a more well-rounded game, Gay getting enough touches to take the next step, and getting through the year without injuries to guys like Kaman, Haywood and Howard.

Let the season begin!

We’re back with more of the 2009-10 RotoRob NBA Draft Kit. While the Minnesota Timberwolves’ frontcourt falls apart, let’s preview the Miami Heat, who will look to build on last season’s rebound and take the next step up the Eastern Conference ladder.

The Miami Heat made a miraculous recovery last season in the wake of the 15-win, injury-induced disaster that was 2007-08. The team finished with a winning record and got back into the playoffs. And while constant worries about the luxury tax prohibited this team from making any key additions this offseason, organic growth by some of its young players should allow the Heat to improve upon its 43-win total of a season ago, perhaps even leapfrogging the Hawks for second place in the Southeast Division behind the Magic.

But the real master plan of this organization involves opening the coffers next summer, when the much-publicized free agent class of 2010 becomes available. Of course, the Heat must start by retaining their own key member of this class – Dwyane Wade, who, despite his constant moaning about the team not doing enough to build a winner around him, is expected to re-up with Miami after the season. But to truly meet its goals, Miami must also be able to add one or two other big-name free agents to play alongside Flash.

For now, however, this will mostly be a stand-pat year. Yes, Quentin Richardson has been added to the mix – after being dealt about 17 other times this summer – but he hardly qualifies as a marquee acquisition. If nothing else, Q-Rich and Daequan Cook will give the Heat a pair of serious long-distance threats this season.

Carlos Arroyo was also recently signed, as the team made a long-delayed move to add depth at point guard. Compared to Richardson, this move means even less, unless starter Mario Chalmers gets hurt for an extended time. Of course, any serious injuries to the starting five could prove disastrous to Miami, considering its paucity of depth.

We all know that, if healthy, Wade will be Wade. But the real key here is the development of sophomores Chalmers and Michael Beasley. Chalmers improved his ball distribution skills as the season wore on last year, but then again, with this offense, Flash has the ball in his hands at almost any given moment. Beasley, however, seems poised to explode and emerge as a legitimate double-double threat. If his drug and personal problems are truly behind him after spending summer vacation in rehab, the second overall pick in last year’s draft can give the Heat what it truly needs – a bona fide second scorer behind Wade. Of course, he’ll have to do that with the pressures of making the transition from PF to SF, not to mention that he’s just 20 years old and everyone will be watching him like a hawk to see if he goes squirrely again.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Mario Chalmers
SG: Dwyane Wade
SF: Michael Beasley
PF: Udonis Haslem
C: Jermaine O’Neal

Key Bench Players

Chris Quinn, Cook, Richardson, James Jones, Joel Anthony

Position Battles

There’s been some talk that Beasley could come off the bench in favour of Q-Rich or even Jones (although Jones seems to have worked himself out of contention). Richardson’s value will get a nice bump if he’s starting, but even if Beasley isn’t in the starting five, he’ll see enough time at the three and four that his value is assured.

Stud

Duh…it’s Flash. The consensus No. 3 overall pick in any Fantasy draft, Wade bounced back from a pair of injury-riddled seasons to post his finest year yet in 2008-09. He’s going to be hard-pressed to duplicate those kind of numbers – especially with Beasley expected to take a bigger role in the offence – and a host of pre-season injury issues are troubling, but Wade is still a superb choice to anchor any Fantasy team.

Dud

O’Neal is already struggling with injury woes this preseason. Problems with his foot, groin and shoulder should remind Fantasy owners why JO is such a headache despite his tremendous rebounding and shot-blocking ability. As always, draft with extreme caution here.

Sleeper

Beasley is an obvious pick, but he’s on too many people’s radar to truly be considered a sleeper. Instead, take a look at the work done this preseason by Joel Anthony, who has emerged as O’Neal’s main backup at centre. If (read: when) O’Neal goes down, Anthony has a chance to be extremely useful. And if O’Neal’s injuries are of the long-term variety, Anthony could be one of the most pleasant surprises of the season.

Rookies to Watch

Miami doesn’t have a single freshman on the squad. The Heat traded away its 2009 first round pick back in 2007 as part of the deal that brought Ricky Davis and Mark Blount to Miami. Miami had three second round picks: it selected Marcus Thornton and then dealt him to the Hornets for a pair of future second rounders; it dealt away another second rounder last year as part of the deal that sent the draft rights to Mario Chalmers to the Heat; and Miami picked Robert Dozier with the final pick of the draft, but he has since signed with a Greek League team.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

Is Beasley past his troubles and ready to justify being the second overall selection in 2008? What’s the over-under for games played by O’Neal this season? Are these injuries Wade is dealing with this preseason truly minor, or is he going to have another season filled with health woes? Can the Heat survive a major injury to any of its starters? Is Anthony ready to bust out and take advantage of JO’s incessant aches and pains? Can Q-Rich wrestle the starting SF job from Beasley and re-establish himself as a decent Fantasy play?

As part of our All Overpaid/Underpaid team special, we were recently interviewed for a Canadian Business article. You can find RotoRob quoted here with our thoughts on the unwieldy Vernon Wells contract and how it’s hampered the Toronto Blue Jays.

Over at Cincinnati Reds Blog, there’s an article about the recent announcement of the AL and NL rookies of the year, as per the Baseball Bloggers Alliance (whatever that is). At any rate, the BBA chose a pair of Andrews – Bailey in the American League, and McCutchen in the National League – as its rookies of the year for 2009. It’s hard to quibble with the selection of Bailey, but I’d be more inclined to give the NL hardware to J.A. Happ of the Phillies. Then again, what do I know? I’m not part of the BBA…

Finally, The Onion — in typical Onion fashion — satirized the Red Sox demise, and especially Jonathan Papelbon’s meltdown in Game Three. As a BoSox fan, I did not find much humour in it, but in the interest of fairness, others might.

Who are the most overpaid players in baseball? Conversely, who are the biggest bargains in the game? We decided to examine each camp and have compiled our All Overpaid and Underpaid teams for 2009.

For overpaid players, we factored in the length of the deal to an extent, because in the case of multi-year deals with several seasons to go, some players’ contracts start to really weigh an organization down.

In the case of underpaid players, I only looked at players who are arbitration-eligible, but at the bottom I do make mention of a few who are not yet eligible but deserve special mention. Without further ado, let’s get to it.

All Overpaid Team

Johan Santana, SP, New York Mets: Santana didn’t have an awful season, but he wasn’t nearly as effective as he was in his first year in New York. He spent time on the DL, and considering he makes almost $19 million, he’s got to accept more than his fair share of the disaster that was the Mets this season.

Alfonso Soriano, OF, Chicago Cubs: Soriano is another lightning rod for a team that severely disappointed this season. He missed 45 games this year because of knee surgery, exhibited the worst power since his first full season, endured his lowest BA ever and is no longer a legitimate threat on the basepaths. Hell, Soriano even struggled defensively. All of this for $17 million? No thanks.

Vernon Wells, OF, Toronto Blue Jays: This contract is looking like the biggest albatross in the game, and it’s forcing the Jays to trim costs almost everywhere else because there’s no way they can rid themselves of this deal. And the really big money doesn’t kick in until next season. Wells made less than $5 million this year (which includes the second installment of his signing bonus), which isn’t a huge amount of cash, relatively speaking, but considering his power has been substandard since 2006, and was downright unacceptable this season, and that his BA is middling at best, there’s not much good you can say about him. Sure, he matched his career high in steals, but no one devotes this kind of coin to a basestealer.

Barry Zito, SP, San Francisco Giants: This is another example of a contract that has come back to haunt a team way before it’s even close to being complete. He was actually much sharper this year than he was during his first two seasons in San Francisco, but 10 wins and an ERA over 4.00 for a pitcher that’s earning $18.5 million is an atrocious use of funds.

Manny Ramirez, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers: It’s not as if Manny was awful this year, but the stink of his 50-game PED suspension lingers over his season, and in reality, his whole career. Surely the Dodgers expected more bang for their buck considering they invested $45 million for this season and next to bring him back to La-la land.

All Underpaid Team

Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida Marlins: The Marlins invested $70 million over six years to buy out his arbitration years and lock him up for another three seasons after that, and this deal already looks like a bargain. He’s just 25 and has already taken over as the best SS in the game, and in fact one of the top hitters in all of baseball. He topped 100 RBI for first time this year, is a power hitter, a major basestealer and won his first batting title. He’s also shown massive improvement in the field, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take home his first Gold Glove as well. There is absolutely nothing this kid can’t do on a baseball field, so the $5.5 million he’s earning this year is money seriously well spent by the Fish.

Zack Greinke, SP, Kansas City Royals: Shockingly, the Royals actually did something smart here, locking him up for four years and $38 million. This season, he built on his 2008 breakout and is the odds-on favourite to win the AL Cy Young. That’s a pretty fine return on $3.75 million.

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, San Diego Padres: Gonzalez could be the most under the radar superstar in the game and he seems to get better every season. And the Padres locked him up before 2007 for four years at a cost of just $9.5 million. He made $3 million this season for putting up his first 40-homer year – a hell of an impressive total in the post-steroid era, he hits for a decent average and has become one of the more patient hitters in the game. And at age 27, he’s just entering his prime power years.

Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners: This is probably Greinke’s top competition for AL Cy Young. The Mariners should have tried to sign King Felix to a long-term extension, because his $3.8 million salary is about to explode. He’ll be arbitration eligible again this winter, and while he was a great buy this year, after reaching 200 Ks for the first time, setting a career high with 17 wins and recording an ERA under 2.50, he’s set for a seriously big raise, ensuring that this will probably be the last season we’ll be able to consider Hernandez “underpaid.”

Adam Wainwright, SP, St. Louis Cardinals: The Cards signed him before 2008 to a four-year deal worth $15 million and they have clubs options on him for 2012 and 2013. But after this season, when he struck out over 200 for first time, had an ERA just over 2.50 and just missed out on a 20-win season, if I was Wainwright’s agent, I’d definitely be seeking a more lucrative contact extension for my client this offseason. And when I say more lucrative, I mean astronomical.

Here are some players who were not yet arbitration eligible entering this season, but deserve special mention for outstanding value: Tim Lincecum, Joey Votto (a Canadian boy, to boot!), Ryan Braun, Pablo Sandoval, Jair Jurrjens, Justin Upton and Ben Zobrist.

I also considered Alex Rodriguez for the overpaid list just because – although he hasn’t had a bad year – he’s paid so much more money than anyone else ($33 million this year), that it’s ridiculous. Plus, he’s a twat.

Since getting swept in the 2007 NLCS, the Arizona Diamondbacks have slipped significantly each season, plummeting to the basement of the NL West this season.

Led by Mark Reynolds and Justin Upton, the team had plenty of power, but a tremendously weak bullpen forced the team to work its starters hard. And while Dan Haren and Doug Davis in particular proved to be workhorses, there was just not enough pitching here to sustain this club.

A five-game winning streak at the end of August buoyed hopes that the Snakes would finish strong, but they folded like a cheap card table after that, slithering to an ugly 10-20 record from September 1 on.

Let’s take a look at the performances of a few D-Back hitters today.

There is no greater lightning rod to pin the D-Backs’ struggles on than outfielder Eric Byrnes. The team’s highest paid player after signing a three-year, $30 million extension in 2007, Byrnes has been a colossal disappointment. Yes, injuries have decimated his last two seasons, but even when he’s been in the lineup, he’s absolutely sucked. And the team has pretty been much forced to continue to trot him out there given his salary, of which he is owed another $11 million next season.

With the seemingly endless line of young outfield prospects Arizona has been churning out in recent seasons, Byrnes has truly been an albatross. But there are already rumblings that Arizona may try to part with him this offseason – does that mean going so far as buying him out? It’s possible. Byrnes got hurt in June, part of a rash of injuries to D-Back flyhawks.

On the plus side, these injuries afforded the team the opportunity to get an extended look at some promising young outfielders like Gerardo Parra and Alex Romero. As for the 33-year-old Byrnes, is he done like dinner? As good as he was in 2006 and 2007, it’s hard to believe he’s got nothing left. Hey, he cut his strikeout rate last season. There, I said something good about him. But let’s get real – his fantastic stolen base potential is virtually useless when he’s getting on base just 27 per cent of the time. Arizona needs to ditch Byrnes at all costs.

Speaking of outfielders who disappointed, how about Chris Young? Think about how exciting a Fantasy outfielder he was in 2007 when he nearly turned in a 30-30 season. Sure, his BA was crap, but you’re okay sucking that up when he provides that much-sought after power-speed combo. Last season, Young showed minor progress on the BA front, but his power and speed slipped significantly. This year, everything was down – especially his power, which was unacceptably low for an outfielder.

Young actually struggled so badly at one point that he had to be sent down to the minors. As we predicted, that demotion seemed to do the trick, as he was far better upon his return, swatting six homers in September, and scorching the ball over the final week in October.

Yes, Young struggled for most of the season, but having just turned 26 last month, he still has plenty of upside potential, so don’t you dare write him off. But if he doesn’t show rapid improvement in the first half of 2010, Young could easily transition from a core player to a Quad-A dude very quickly, especially given the abundance of options Arizona now has in the outfield.

Another D-Back I had high hopes for this season who burned owners badly (myself included) is catcher Chris Snyder. Again, injuries were a major factor here, as back woes sent him to the DL twice, the second time ending his season prematurely and necessitating surgery. The fact that when he was in the lineup Snyder couldn’t hit his weight wasn’t a shock, but that his power was sapped was the big burn. After showing such steady progression the previous three seasons, I had identified Snyder as a catcher ready to become a real Fantasy force in 2009 – especially considering he was right in his prime power years.

Unfortunately for Snyder, Miguel Montero really took advantage of the opportunity, establishing himself as the everyday backstop. Snyder is under contract through at least 2011, so he’s going to get another shot next year, but it’s clear he’s now the underdog in this position battle. Still just 28, Snyder is expected to be 100 per cent healthy by Spring Training 2010, but has his window closed?

I really hope the D-Backs don’t give up on him as a potential starter, but Montero may not give them a choice.

In most organizations, Jordan Schafer would probably still be the top young outfielder on the team. But these are the Atlanta Braves, who have another uber prospect on the way in the form of Jason Heyward – considered the best prospect in the game – and that could spell seriously bad news for Schafer.

Many were surprised when Schafer won a job with the Braves directly out of Spring Training, but when he enjoyed a solid April, it looked like a wise decision. However, May brought with it serious scuffles for Schafer, and by early June, he was sent back to Triple-A. He didn’t exactly tear it up in the minors, either, struggling with making contact and almost immediately suffering a wrist injury that would ultimately end his season early. As we expected, Schafer never did make it back to Atlanta in September.

In 50 games with the Braves, he recorded an OPS of just 600, proving he wasn’t quite ready for prime time play. Unfortunately, even though Schafer just turned 23 last month, he’s already been passed by Heyward, so he definitely won’t be handed a job next spring. And as excited as Fantasy owners are about Heyward’s potential, the Braves may have learned their lesson from the Schafer fiasco and ease Heyward into the majors as a result.

For Schafer, however, it may turn out to be that this was his one-year window to run with a job. I find it hard to believe he won’t get more chances, but perhaps they may need to happen in another organization.

There will be a bit more outfield time in Atlanta once the club divests themselves of veteran Greg Norton, whose power inexplicably disappeared completely this season. He actually wound up drawing walks at a higher rate than ever before (and was one of the few Braves to post an OBP of over .400 in the second half), but who cares? This is a 37-year-old pinch hitter who we characterized as “middling” last season, who now dreams of attaining “middling” status. That the Braves trotted him out there in key situations was a travesty. It might be just about time for this old dude to pack it in.