The 2009 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit continues today as we kick off the RotoRob Top 10 Lists of Lists that Fantasy Owners always Wanted, but were Afraid to Ask For with the RotoRob debut of our newest voice, Todd Habiger, who brings us the Top 10 rookies. Please join me in giving Todd a hearty welcome to RotoRob. He’s a long-time fantasy expert and is an excellent writer, to boot!

This list includes players (with less than 130 major league at-bats or 50 innings pitched) that will create the biggest stir this season.

In fantasy leagues, owners are constantly search for the next big – that mega star that will lift their team to fantasy glory. But there is a danger in investing in too many rookies. For every Evan Longoria there’s an Alex Gordon, the player that despite the hype only puts up modest numbers in their rookie season. Unfortunately, most rookies aren’t going to pan out and give you superstar numbers, so buyer beware (or caveat emptor, for my Latin friends). Even so, rookies can be good for injury fill-ins or to plug into your starting lineup in deeper leagues.

Below are my best bets to help you this year.

1. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore Orioles: You got to like it when a rookie catcher is compared to Mike Piazza (unless they’re talking about his defense). Wieters comes into this season with a tremendous amount of hype, and based on his average draft position, you’ve noticed. He is a superb prospect that can help your team this year – but probably not for the first month or two. With the O’s not expected to contend, the plan is to keep Wieters in the minors long enough to delay his service time. So if you draft him, be sure you get a serviceable backup for the first month. After that, sit back and enjoy the ride.

2. Colby Rasmus, OF, St. Louis Cardinals: This super prospect lost a little luster last year with injuries and mediocre numbers. But don’t fret, he’s the real deal and will arrive this season. Tony La Russa plans to bat him ninth to start the season, but if Rasmus shows he can handle the bat he’ll move up in the order quickly. I expect a solid season for Rasmus in the range of .280-20-65-10.

3. David Price, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays: If you haven’t heard of Price, stop reading right now, take your wife and kids out for a nice meal, take up building model cars and send the money you were going to waste playing fantasy baseball this year to: Todd Habiger, PO Box 1259, Overland Park, KS 66204. Of course, Price is one of the most hyped prospects of our time. His coming out party was when he closed the door on the Red Sox to send the Rays to the World Series. But his fame is going to be as a starter and from the looks of things he’s going to be a good – if not great – one. But remember, he is a rookie and his innings are going to be watched. Think 12 wins and an ERA in the mid to upper 3s.

4. Chris Perez, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals: La Russa doesn’t plan on naming a closer, but rather go with a bullpen by committee. Really, how often has a committee worked out well? Expect Perez to eventually lay claim to the job and hold on to it for say, the next five to 10 years. He has a great fastball that can reach the upper 90s when he needs something extra. But Perez can be wild and lacks a consistent secondary pitch. Still, he’s the best option in a rather mediocre St. Louis pen. I’m putting him down for 25 saves.

5. Travis Snider, OF, Toronto Blue Jays: Snider shot through the Blue Jays farm system last year, starting out at High A and ending up in the Show. This kid is the real deal and should lay claim to either an outfield or the DH slot. Power is Snider’s game and he should eventually find his way into the middle of the Jays lineup. Despite a somewhat high strikeout totally, scouts expect that Snider to settle into a .280 hitter or better.

6. Cameron Maybin, OF, Florida Marlins: This kid is an all-world athlete. A true five-tool player, Maybin should be able to translate those skills into a regular stint in the 30-30 club. As of now, he doesn’t have the greatest plate discipline, so don’t expect a stellar batting average or on base percentage right way. What you can expect is tape measure home runs, blazing thefts of second and lots of Sports Center moments. All that with a .230 BA.

7. Taylor Teagarden, C, Texas Rangers: The Ranger farm system is so deep that Teagarden didn’t even make Baseball America’s Top five Texas prospects. But my money’s on him having the biggest impact on the big league club this year. Teagarden had an impressive debut, smacking six home runs in 47 at bats to give him a leg up on the starting catcher position entering 2009. But it’s a tough road with former top prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia and fellow prospect Max Ramirez standing in the way. Still, Teagarden offers more of a complete package with his defense ability to call a game.

8. Brett Wallace, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals: Wallace is one of my big hunches this year (for more, see below). The man can hit. He started knocking the cover off the ball in High A ball and when an injury created an opportunity at Double-A, Wallace didn’t lose a beat, batting over .300 with power. With Troy Glaus injury prone and no suitable replacement on the St. Louis bench, I think Wallace could have an opportunity to make an impact on the big league club right away.

9. Dexter Fowler, OF, Colorado Rockies: Fowler is a superb athlete who is still translating all his potential on the baseball field. Blessed with natural speed and strength, Fowler had an amazing 2008, being selected to the Futures Game and making the Olympic Team. While he hasn’t shown much power yet, scouts seem to think it’s only a matter of time. With the Colorado outfield looking pretty underwhelming right now, Fowler could find himself in a battle to make the opening day roster. If that happens, snatch him up.

10. Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas Rangers: Not even old enough to legally drink yet, Andrus nonetheless unwittingly caused a ruckus this offseason when the Rangers said they were moving All-Star shortstop Michael Young to third base to make room for the kid. Young immediately asked for a trade, but eventually backed down and agreed to the move. While he will probably only show modest power in his career, Andrus has good speed and should be able to steal 20+ bases regularly.

Habby’s Hunches

RotoRob only wanted my top 10 so I gave him my best bets. But still, with no insider knowledge, I just have a feeling about the five guys below. There’s nothing out there to say these guys are ready or have an easy path to a big league job, but there’s something about them that my gut is telling me “these guys are going to do something this year.” If they pan out, remember you heard it here first. If they don’t, hey they were only hunches, what do you expect?

Alcides Escobar, SS, Milwaukee Brewers: One J.J. Hardy stands in Escobar’s big league path, but eventually Hardy is going to be just a speed bump. Escobar is outstanding defensively and projects to hit with decent power, Throw in a touch of speed and you’ve got a future All-Star in the making.

Gordon Beckham, SS, Chicago White Sox: I must admit, I have a major man crush on Beckham. I think he’s going to be an outstanding power hitting shortshop (provided he stays there). The kid can simply rake. He hit the ground hitting, so to speak. Beckham showed good power in his minor league debut and then tore into AFL pitchers this winter. With Chris Getz no sure thing at 2B in ChiTown, I’m thinking Beckham might have a shot at seeing the Show this year.

Chris Tillman, RHP, Baltimore Orioles: Tillman is a good bet to open the year in Triple-A, but where he ends it is up for debate. He has nasty stuff – the kind No. 1 starters are made of. I’m guessing the first injury to the O’s rotation will unleash Tillman on big league batters and then, look out.

Kila Ka’aihue, 1B: Kansas City Royals: There’s nothing to suggest that Ka’aihue has any shot in hell of making the Royals this year. The club traded for Mike Jacobs and, if needed, Billy Butler can slap on a glove and play first base. But Ka’aihue has good plate discipline (something Jacobs can only dream about) and something the Royals sorely need. I personally think he’d look great in the middle of the Royal lineup.

Tommy Hanson, RHP, Atlanta Braves: The Braves have revamped their starting rotation by adding Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez to the mix and seemingly leaving Hanson to fend for himself in Triple-A. Last year, Hanson had a season to remember, putting himself near the top of everyone’s top pitching prospects list. He dominated High A ball and didn’t miss a beat upon promotion to Double-A, a stint which included a no-hitter. The hitter-friendly AFL didn’t slow Hanson down either, as he won the pitching Triple Crown.

Oh, baby! Spring Training games start Wednesday – meaning that in less than 24 hours, we’re going to be checking out boxscores. It doesn’t get any sweeter than that. Well, except checking out boxscores while being hand-fed Twinkies by scantily-clad 18-year-old ladies, of course.

Our previous installments:

American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X.

National League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII and IX.

New York Mets

Given a second straight September meltdown that cost them a post-season berth, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the Mets actually improved in 2008 (albeit, by a single win). Really, the bottom line here is that the Mets were a mediocre team other than July and August when they went on a 36-19 run. The team’s “disastrous” September (13-12) was no different than the club’s record in April and was in fact better than how they fared in May and June.

Still, it’s time for the Mets to wipe all that away and focus on the future, which means the christening of a brand new stadium – Citi Field – and hopefully, with it, a new era.

The team may certainly have a different look this season, as manager Jerry Manuel — about to begin his first full season in charge of the Mets — is considering some major tinkering to the lineup. Luis Castillo may shift to the top of the order, with Jose Reyes dropping to the three-hole and Carlos Beltran moving up to the second spot. Carlos Delgado would slide up to cleanup, while David Wright would drop from third to fifth.

Hmmm…taking one of the best leadoff hitters in the game and shifting him? Uh, okay.

But the Mets are looking for a big recovery from Castillo after he sucked in his first season with the team. He’s dropped 17 pounds and the expectations for a major recovery are large – enough so that I’m reconsidering my plan to dump his sorry ass this spring.

Another change in the lineup could occur in left field, where Daniel Murphy is being pegged as the new starter, a move that would certainly cut into the value of Ryan Church.

Offense was the Mets’ calling card last season, as they ranked second in runs and steals. Beltran has been sliding for a couple of seasons, but remains a force in centrefield, and may see a bump in value batting out of the two-hole. Expect more runs, but less RBI. Reyes rebounded after an off year in 2007, but had his lowest stolen base total since he’s been a full-time player.

The pitching was middling as best last season, ranking seventh in WHIP. In fairness, other than Pedro Martinez – who looked toast – the starting rotation was pretty good; the bullpen, however, was the bane of the Mets’ existence in 2008. That’s a situation that has been addressed in a big way with the signing of Francisco Rodriguez and the acquisition of J.J. Putz.

With 11 free agents this offseason, the Mets had plenty to deal with as they attempt to take the next step and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Fortunately, the offense was barely affected, with just one key bench player among the free agent class; the pitching free agents, however, included two members of the rotation.

Free Agents

Moises Alou, OF: One of the most injury-prone players of his generation, Alou was limited to 15 games thanks to calf and hamstring problems, the latter of which ultimately necessitated season-ending surgery in July, just the highlight of a season filled with injuries to Met outfielders. He remains unsigned, but it’s possible Philadelphia or Toronto (looking for a temporary replacement for Vernon Wells) may come calling.

Tony Armas, Jr., RHP: Armas never looked worse than he did last season during his brief time with the Mets, but at Triple-A, he showed great control and posted strong hit rates, hinting at the pitcher who was once a top prospect in the Expo system. But the fact is, he hasn’t been useful since early in 2006, and as usual, injuries derailed him that season. Anyways, the Mets must have liked what they saw of Armas in the minors, and re-signed him to a minor league deal. You never know when all of a sudden everything will click for a pitcher, but the fact that he is experiencing Visa problems for the second straight spring doesn’t bode well for him to enjoy any success in 2009.

Luis Ayala, RHP: Ayala started the season in Washington, but was too hittable in a set-up role. Dealt to the Mets in August, he was slightly better, and did have some value down the stretch when he took over the closer role after Billy Wagner got hurt and Aaron Heilman failed. With the Mets’ big bullpen additions, Ayala was no longer needed, and he’s landed in Minnesota.

Damion Easley, 2B: Can you believe it’s now been almost six years since the Tigers released Easley, eating over $14 million in salary in the process? He’s been a part-time player since, but at the age of 39, is still hanging around. In fact, when Castillo was so awful last season, Easley saw more action than normal down the stretch, resulting in 85 hits – his highest total since 2001. Easley no longer has any power, but drew interest from Arizona earlier this offseason. However, he remains without a job, and we know the Mets won’t be asking him back – they’ve moved on by signing Alex Cora to take over Easley’s role.

Orlando Hernandez, RHP: Hernandez’s 2008 season was a disaster as he got a late start to the season because of foot surgery – something that concerned us early in the year when we wondered if he’d be healthy at all. Well, we were bang on, as the injury never healed sufficiently for him to take the mound, and then he opted for season-ending surgery in August to remove a bunion on his big right toe. While his strikeout rate slipped and his command was weak in 2007, Hernandez has always been a consistent winner (lifetime 90-65 mark), so you’d think someone would bite. He’s willing to continue his career as a reliever, but there’s been no interest in him at all.

Pedro Martinez, RHP: Well, Martinez was healthier last year than he was in 2007. There, now that I’ve said something good about his 2008, I can take the gloves off. The dude was simply shelled and his shoulder problems resurfaced in September, keeping him winless for the remainder of the season. This former Expo great wanted to re-sign with the Mets, but that isn’t expected to happen. Instead, Martinez will use the WBC as a platform to try to generate interest as he seeks a 2009 contract.

Ramon Martinez, 2B: Thanks to injuries and ineffective at Triple-A last season, I wondered whether this vet was done altogether. He wound up in the Met system and after a September call-up, he actually saw some time as the starting second baseman in New York. And although he hit decently, this spoke more to Castillo’s ineffectiveness rather than Martinez’s prowess. At any rate, the Mets liked what they saw enough to re-sign him to a minor league deal, but I expect him to again spend plenty of his time at Triple-A.

Trot Nixon, OF: Since his career year in 2003, Nixon’s slugging percentage has dropped five straight seasons, and after last season’s debacle – hernia surgery limited him to a mere 35 less-than-impressive at bats – he looks old before his time. Nixon started the season in the Arizona system and hit well at Triple-A, but was dealt to the Mets when they were dealing with a rash of OF injuries. Of course, he soon joined that mess, getting hurt himself. The Brewers have signed Nixon and he’ll compete for the final outfield spot in Milwaukee. He probably has an edge for the job because he’s a lefty, but man, has his career ever gone downhill steadily.

Oliver Perez, LHP: Perez was unable to consolidate his great 2007 rebound season, setting a career high in walks in 2008 while also experiencing a decline in his K rate. The upshot of his inconsistency was one-third less wins (just 10 after a career-best 15 in 2007). Regardless, the Mets re-signed him for three years and $36 million, a deal that could be awful if Perez starts to revert to his 2006 form. However, it could be a steal if the work that Johan Santana is doing with him to make him a more consistent pitcher pays off. The Mets need Perez to return to the 15-win range for them to have a shot at the playoffs; with one of the best lefties in the game in Perez’s corner, there’s a good chance that may happen. I’m issuing a sleeper alert on this still-just-27-year-old southpaw.

Ricardo Rincon, LHP: Rincon missed most of the 2007 season because of Tommy John surgery, and he worked his way back by pitching in the Mexican League this season before the Mets gave him a look. He earned a September call-up and pitched well in limited action. He’s still a free agent, however, and at the age of 38, looks just about done.

Matt Wise, RHP: When the Mets signed him last offseason, we actually thought this was a wise move. Unfortunately, an arm injury delayed the start of his season, and when he returned, he was far too hittable, suggesting that he wasn’t quite 100 per cent. Sure enough, after just eight appearances, the shoulder started acting up, ultimately leading him to shut it down for the season in August. He’s still a free agent, and will likely remain as such until it’s clear he’s healthy.

Next: We’ll drive 100 miles down the Jersey Turnpike and the I-95 to Philadelphia, to check in the offseason happenings of the World Champion Phillies.

Spring Training is underway and we’ll have actual boxscores to peruse come Wednesday! How sweet is that? With that in mind, we push forward with our Free Agency report. Miss the other sections of this near-legendary tome? No problem-o, dude. We got you covered:

American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X.

National League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII.

Milwaukee Brewers

After showing nice progress in 2007, the Milwaukee Brewers were one of the feel good stories of 2008, taking another significant leap forward en route to 90 wins, the NL Wild Card and the team’s first playoff appearance in 26 years.

Fueled by the NL’s second best pitching staff, which was bolstered by the mid-season acquisition of C.C. Sabathia (who was absolutely dominant in Sausage City) the Brewers spent most of the summer blazing towards the playoffs. Sure, a late season slump almost cost them that shot and it took a win on the final day of the season to wrap it up, but after an entire generation of Brewer fans had suffered through a postseason drought, no one was complaining. Yes, the Brewers were dispatched fairly easily in four games in the NLDS by the eventual World Series champion Phillies, but the message was sent that this team was no longer a doormat for the rest of the NL.

Unfortunately, the offseason took a big chunk of those good feelings away. Gone are twin aces Sabathia and Ben Sheets, replaced by Braden Looper. Uh, yeah.

Team owner Mark Attanasio believes that the team is tapped out salary wise after taking on the Sabathia contract and also adding Ray Durham in a mid-season deal and then enduring an expensive offseason that included new contracts for Prince Fielder (who has slimmed down, but has a fatter wallet thanks to a two-year, $18 million deal) and Corey Hart ($3.25 M), not to mention Looper, who could earn as much as $12.25 million over the next two years.

On the plus side financially, after wasting $10 million on Eric Gagne last season for a seriously ugly campaign, the Brew Crew was able to bring him back on a cheap, incentive-laden minor league contract for 2009. Of course, it’s going to take a hell of a lot of work before Gagne manages to earn himself another late-inning role as he’s fallen pretty low down the pecking order in the Milwaukee pen, assuming he even makes the team.

One wonders whether the Brewers (12th in hitting, but fifth in home runs last season) will have enough offense to withstand the weakening of their pitching staff this season. Third baseman Bill Hall, who has been sliding downhill for a couple of seasons now anyways, is dealing with a calf injury, and will get a late start on his spring. This does not bode well for a rebound. And while that may be addition by subtraction in some people’s minds, and perhaps serve only to expedite the dawn of the Mat Gamel era, the uber prospect is also hurting this spring with a shoulder issue. That leaves Mike Lamb as the main option at the hot corner for now. Yeah, I know…it’s hard not to wet yourself when you hear that.

Free Agents

The Brewers only had 10 free agents to deal with, but with four key hurlers included on this list, the team took a serious hit to its staff and will be very hard pressed to remain among the top pitching teams in the NL. Fortunately, the losses on offense were only to role players.

Russell Branyan, 3B: After starting the season in the minors and then getting hurt in August, Branyan didn’t see much big league action last season, but when he did play he actually put up a decent BA for once and showed enough to earn himself a contract from the Mariners. He’ll participate in what looks like a wide-open competition for the starting first base job in Seattle.

Craig Counsell, 3B: Counsell saw less action in 2008, but he knows how to get on base and has excellent strike zone judgment, two ingredients that led Milwaukee to re-sign him. It’s Counsell’s flexibility that makes him valuable, at least for a real baseball team. He actually proved useful when Rickie Weeks went down in June, and could get into the 3B mix this spring with all the injuries Milwaukee is dealing with. He’s no spring chicken, but Counsell proved he still has a bit of life left in him when used judiciously as a role player.

Ray Durham, 2B: Durham was enjoying a strong season with the Giants, doing a way better job of getting on base than he had in years. Traded to Milwaukee in July, he hit well for Milwaukee and continued to exhibit good patience. Although not a productive, full-time player any longer, Durham still has very good gap power and his recovery in OBP last season was really startling. He’s still a free agent, and KC is a possible suitor, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Durham had to settle for a minor league deal as no one is really desperate for keystone corner help right now.

Eric Gagne, RHP: Gagne was signed to take over at closer, but he was unable to stay healthy, was tremendously ineffective and ultimately proved that he wasn’t the answer, losing his job. As mentioned, Milwaukee has brought him back for much less money and he’ll have to fight for a job with plenty of bullpen candidates in town.

Gabe Kapler, OF: Kapler was a big surprise early in the season, but ultimately faded back into his traditional extra outfielder role. Still, he did enough as a part-timer to earn a contract from defending AL Champs Tampa Bay, where he will compete for the starting right field job.

Mike Lamb, 3B: It didn’t surprise us at all when Lamb flopped in Minnesota, losing playing time and then getting the boot outright. Milwaukee signed him late in the season, and he was even worse while playing in Beer City. For some reason, The Brewers re-signed him and now, thanks to the rash of injuries to their third basemen, he could factor in as an important piece in the early going. And that’s just plain scary.

Guillermo Mota, RHP: Mota bounced back nicely after his awful 2007 season in which he had to deal with a drug-related suspension. He upped his K rate, was harder to hit and offered some value in NL-only leagues thanks to his wins and holds. The Dodgers opted to sign the inconsistent reliever, hoping that returning to the site of his best seasons will help revitalize him further.

C.C. Sabathia, LHP: Sabathia got off to an awful start with the Tribe last season, but turned things around and proved to be an incredible addition for Milwaukee at the deadline, sharpening his control and giving the team an innings-eating stud it so desperately needed to help make it over the hump and into the playoffs. Unfortunately, he priced himself way out of the Brew Crew’s price range with this career season, landing in New York when the Yankees opened the vaults for the big lefty.

Ben Sheets, RHP: Sheets turned in a fabulous season, but the wear and tear on his arm (he matched his career high in complete games) once again took its toll, and a two-year offer from Texas fell through when it was discovered he had a torn flexor tendon in his elbow. He’s since undergone surgery which will likely keep him out until the All-Star break and will necessitate him signing a cheaper deal that will include incentive bonuses.

Brian Shouse, LHP: Shouse gave up more homers than usual, but thanks to his vultured wins, holds and nice ERA, he enjoyed a strong season, dominating southpaws to the tune of a .180 BAA. The Rays, looking to bolster their bullpen, signed him a week and a half ago.

Next: We’ll head east to check in on the New York Mets, who had a boatload of free agents to deal with this offseason.

Alright, the push is on to hammer the rest of these reports out as we gear up for the release of the 2009 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit. If you’ve missed any of the previous parts of this series, catch up here:

American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X.

National League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers only made slight strides over 2007, but it was enough to win the NL West and come within three wins of the World Series. But let’s face it – without pulling the trigger on the Manny Ramirez deal, there’s no way this team earns its third straight winning season, never mind makes the postseason.

Of course, the fate of Manny is still very much up in the air, and if he bolts, the Dodgers will go back to the substandard offensive team they were before he arrived. This is a team that finished 13th in the NL in runs and slugging, but would have been much worse had Ramirez not looked like Ted Williams over the final couple months of the season. There were just too many passengers in this lineup. Jeff Kent looked like a shell of himself, and thankfully has opted for the rocking chair; Juan Pierre was simply awful, managing just 13 extra-base hits all season long, finally being reduced to a part-time role.

Unfortunately, the team has done very little to improve itself offensively, making the re-signing of Ramirez all the more vital.

Pitching was definitely this team’s strength in 2008 as they paced the NL in ERA, OPS against and WHIP. Hong-Chih Kuo was superb as a spot starter/long reliever; Cory Wade was spectacular out of the bullpen; Derek Lowe enjoyed a tremendous season, but has since departed, landing in Atlanta and leaving young Chad Billingsley as the de facto ace for the Dodgers.

Lowe’s departure, combined with the retirement of Greg Maddux and the dispatching of Brad Penny has left the Dodger staff potentially thin and rather fragile to an extent. This could prove to be the team’s undoing, although fortunately, they reside in a weak division where 84 wins was good enough to take home a title last season.

No. 2 starter Hiroki Kuroda dealt with shoulder problems last season, but so far this spring, the news is good. Clayton Kershaw, still not old enough to drink, will be asked to shoulder a heavy load. It would be a huge bonus if Jason Schmidt, finally pain free, can emerge with the fifth starter job, or if Jeff Weaver, added on a minor league deal, can rediscover the form that allowed him to win 27 games with the Dodgers in 2003 and 2004. And Randy Wolf is also back, another constant injury risk, but an arm that can definitely help if he can make 30 starts.

Closer Takashi Saito is gone, and while Jonathan Broxton can clearly handle the role (notwithstanding some hiccups in the playoffs that turned the NLCS in the Phillies’ favour), the trickle down effect will hurt the overall depth of the Dodger pen.

The Dodgers had to deal with a major-league high 13 free agents this offseason – a hell of a lot for a team seeking its first NL Championship since 1988.

One other piece of bad news for you Dodger fans, especially the superstitious types: LA has only made the playoffs in even numbered years since 2004. The youth movement is definitely underway in LA, but this team may have to take a step back before it can take another step forward.

Joe Beimel, LHP: Despite coming off his finest big league season, Beimel remains unsigned. He was a bit more hittable in 2008 than he’s been in a couple of years, but with the lusting after of lefty relievers by most teams this offseason, he was expected to get a multi-year deal. Now, he may have to head back to the Dodgers, where he lost in arbitration in 2007, perhaps just for one year.

Gary Bennett, C: Former juicer Bennett missed most of 2008 with an injury, not that anyone ever notices Russell Martin’s backup very often. He’s still out there, and despite his lack of action last year, I suspect Bennett will land a back-up role somewhere.

Casey Blake, 3B: Blake was having a fine year with the Tribe, but he struggled once he arrived in LA after the Dodgers gave up a couple of prospects to acquire him. Still, he cut his strikeout rate last season and gets on base at a decent clip and with such a weak market at the hot corner, the Dodgers opted to re-sign him for three years and $17 million.

Rafael Furcal, SS: Furcal was having a superb year, but his season ended extremely early, causing him to earn consideration for a 2008 RotoRob Award as the Fantasy Bust of the Year. Still, the Dodgers saw enough to bring him back, despite fierce competition from the A’s and Braves, the later of which actually thought they had signed him. Assuming the Dodgers don’t bring Manny back, Furcal will be counted on to spur the team’s little ball attack with his blazing speed.

Nomar Garciaparra, SS: He remains injury prone, but is a great team player, and when Furcal went down, Garciaparra shifted over to short for a while and actually emerged as a decent wire pick for a while. The Phillies have made him an offer, but his days of being able to handle a full-time job look done.

Jason Johnson, RHP: Despite his propensity to surrender too many long balls, Johnson held his own in a spot starter/long man role while he was with the Dodgers. A couple of years ago, Johnson had to go to Japan to find his way back to the majors, however, this year, the Yankees will give him a shot, penning him to a minor league deal.

Jeff Kent, 2B: Kent’s knee woes did him in and a walk rate that had been declining for the past couple of seasons really helped usher in the end for this 16-year-vet, who retired as a lifetime .290 hitter and one of the greatest power-hitting second basemen ever.

Derek Lowe, RHP: The loss of Lowe, whose control was impeccable last year, will really hurt. D-Lowe will look to propel the Braves back into contention this season.

Greg Maddux, RHP: Maddux was enjoying a fine year with the Padres, but as we predicted, he was dealt at the deadline back to the Dodgers, with whom he spent part of the 2006 season with. The Professor wasn’t quite as effective once he landed in LA, giving up more homers than normal, and then he decided to call it a day after 355 career wins. That’ll do, I guess.

Chan Ho Park, RHP: Park put himself back on the map with a fine season as a spot starter/long reliever in LA, becoming one of the Dodgers’ better reclamation projects. He looked like a serious retread back in 2006 when the Mets gave him a shot, but Park is now a legitimate candidate to battle for the fifth starter job on the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, who signed him for one year and $2.5 million.

Brad Penny, RHP: Penny dealt with some shoulder problems last season, looking good upon his return before getting rocked in his next start and landing back on the DL. He made it back for two appearances in September before shutting it down for the season. Now, Penny is part of a potent Red Sox rotation, and the former All-Star will try to prove last season was a blip.

Manny Ramirez, OF: Once Man-Ram arrived from Boston, he almost single-handedly turned the Dodgers season around. He was enjoying a solid year for the BoSox, but as a Dodger, he was absolutely sick, batting almost .400 and showing incredible power, patience and plate discipline. However, where Ramirez winds up is still anyone’s guess. The dude has already turned down a $25 million offer for one year from the Dodgers. Could division rival San Francisco swoop in and steal Manny? If the Giants do so, it could swing the balance in the NL West. The Dodgers don’t seem to be in any kind of panic to re-sign the future Hall of Famer, and that could cost them.

Mark Sweeney, 1B: As we discussed early last season, bringing Sweeney back last year didn’t work out so well. He looks like he’s done as he hasn’t even had any bites this offseason. Time for the 39-year-old to follow Kent’s model, perhaps.

Next: We’ll head northeast a ways and report on the Milwaukee Brewers’ offseason.

Now, in the past, I have broken down video games into four categories – controls, graphics/sound, gameplay and overall – however, that would be pointless here since 95 per cent of the game is played in menus and what gameplay elements exist are more of a secondary feature. So instead I’ll just sort of wade through the experience and give you a feel for what worked well, what needs some tweaking and what needs improvement.

MLB Front Office does offer a fantasy mode and Xbox Live integration, which has a lot of potential for online leagues if you could piece together 30 serious players, but the real meat and potatoes of this game is the career mode, wherein you create a General Manager, assign him to a team (I chose the Milwaukee Brewers) and follow him over a 30-year career. You take over following the end of the 2008 season and before free agency – meaning C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets were still on Milwaukee’s roster- and once the owner assigns you a budget your first task is to re-sign your players.

The game tracks MLB experience, meaning those with fewer than three years are pretty much obligated to take whatever you offer (excluding “Super 2s” of course) while veterans with 3-to-5 years of experience are eligible for arbitration. Those with six-plus seasons under their belt can also be offered arbitration, but they all turned it down – even Eric Gagne! I then sat back and watched as my top free agents signed with other clubs, choosing to rely on my young talent and nibble here and there. Some of the contracts looked pretty out of whack, like Mike Mussina, 40 years old and retired in real life, getting a four-year deal at north of $17 million per year from the Yankees. But I didn’t mind; it made me play the game smarter, which is what real small-market GMs need to do (unless you’re Kevin Towers).

Unfortunately, a couple more serious issues came out of this signing period. First, several high profile free-agent signings (like Francisco Rodriguez) were placed on waivers following Spring Training and ended up on new teams just months after inking huge new deals. The other problem was that for all the Type A and Type B free agents I lost, I gained zero draft picks when the Amateur Draft rolled around. Of course, in real life, when a team loses a Type A free agent they are given the signing team’s top pick as compensation, as well as a “sandwich pick” between the first and second rounds. The game tells you that you’ll be given the selections during the signing phase, but no picks were forthcoming.

Getting back to the main game, your GM gains experience points by performing various tasks, such as signing a player with a certain level of potential, sweeping a series, winning streaks and more. At certain intervals you’ll level up, granting you points to apply to your own GM skills and the skills of your coaching staff. The more points you put into a category – U.S. scouting, contract negotiation, etc. – the more adept your GM becomes in that area. It’s a tried, but true system and rewards your ability to build a winning team while also allowing for some originality in your GM as you choose which areas to upgrade, thereby enabling you to create an astute talent evaluator with poor negotiating skills or a shrewd trade artist with limited scouting knowledge and so on.

In addition to the previously mentioned areas such as free agency, arbitration and the amateur draft, the game also contains the Rule 5 draft, multiple levels of minor leagues (Triple-A, Double-A, Single-A, Rookie League), a scouting system where you assign amounts based on your budget to areas of the country and world to scout prospects and a surprisingly active waiver wire.

Most of your time, however, will be spent in the day-to-day grind of player evaluation to build your team into a pennant contender. With so many players to keep track of, the interface you’re saddled with isn’t exactly ideal. There is far too much backtracking within the menus with the information spread out across them. While I didn’t find it prohibitive, it can become tedious and is certainly something the team at 2k Sports should revisit before any potential 2010 release. On a related note, the filter system also needs some tweaking as it only allows basic searches when looking for players in free agency and during the draft. I’d love to have the ability to search for specific abilities – say for example, a catcher with an arm rating of 60 or more and a power figure of 40-plus – rather than going through lists of names and overall ratings.

Despite the interface issues, I found the actual building of my club to be very satisfying. While the AI can be quite unforgiving when it comes to trading (and frustratingly not forthcoming about the reasons) I was still able to swing some solid deals, picking up David Price from the Rays and Brandon Morrow from the Mariners to solidify my pitching staff and turning third base over to Mat Gamel. When those moves and several others paid off in the Brewers’ first World Series championship (by beating the Cubs in the NLCS and Yankees in the WS no less), it felt like a real accomplishment because of the time I invested into the process. And believe me, you need to be committed to staying on top of your roster because the computer AI makes some brutal decisions if you elect to “auto fix” your team in the event of injury.

The games themselves can be simulated or you can choose to manage them at the major and minor league levels. In the majors you’re given a bird’s eye view of the action with close ups on the pitcher and hitter, and then additional close ups once the ball is put in play. For minor league games all you get is the overhead view. You’re presented with a basic set of options on both offense – hit, bunt, steal, hit and run – and defense – pitch to, walk – and once you select one it stays active for the entire plate appearance. That means if you choose bunt, your hitter with continue trying to lay one down even with two strikes. It would’ve been nice to have the choice to go into a pitch-by-pitch mode and also to see a few more options, like the ability to “pitch around” hitters. The graphics here look like PS2 quality and there is no announcing, but this mode isn’t the draw of the game so it’s not a big deal.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out a couple other issues I encountered as I played through MLB Front Office Manager, one of which was the game’s occasional inability to correctly assign wins and losses. For instance, I removed a starter after four innings in a 0-0 game, eventually lost 2-1 when my closer blew the lead in the ninth and…my starter was tagged with the loss. Also, after the Amateur Draft I suddenly found the computer filling any available slots at the various minor league levels with players with no notification. One day I was just checking out my rookie league team and found it stocked with former major league players (including valuable arms like Joey Devine) while my first-round pick had been promoted to Double-A, where he was the No. 3 catcher. I couldn’t find an option to stop it from happening, but at least the CPU wasn’t cutting any of my players to make the moves, and my MLB roster remained untouched, making it more of an annoyance than anything else.

Overall Ranking (3.5/5)

While the final product didn’t quite live up to the lofty hopes I had for it, I think a solid foundation has been laid for further iterations of MLB Front Office Manager. Some will undoubtedly be turned off by the somewhat clunky menu system and occasional jaw-dropping AI decision, but those that can get past the game’s shortcomings will find an interesting and often rewarding experience.

Well folks, now that 2009 is well underway, is there a better way to commence the New Year than getting that first league draft of 2009 under my belt? I’m not talking mock draft, but the real deal. Thanks to Mike Kuchera at TheFantasyMan.com for inviting Team RotoRob to partake in the 2009 version of The Battle of the Fantasy Gods. A fine cast has been assembled, including:

Chris McDonnell – Fantasy Baseball
Kuchera – The Fantasy Man
Scott White – CBS Sports
Troy Patterson – Fantasy Pros 911
Tim McLeod – RotoRob
Brian Fitzsimmons – Sports Buff
Todd Farino – Fantasy Baseball Search
Brad Stewart – MLB Front Office
Jeff Boggis – Fantasy Sports Empires
Geoff Stein – Mock Draft Central
Mojo Moshovetis – Crucial Sports
Knox Bardeen – Crooked Pitch

Strategy

This league has a couple of nuances that caused me to do some serious pondering. There are no restrictions on innings pitched, no bench, and we’re doing weekly transactions. Other than that, it is your standard 5X5 rotisserie format with the customary 23 roster slots. Taking the format and rules of play into consideration was going to be a prime focus when looking at assembling a team in this year’s league. If one is going to play the game, understanding the rules is paramount when developing a solid and successful strategy.

This league is getting off to a very early start, and this definitely played into the development of my strategy. I wanted to attempt to acquire five-category players early (who doesn’t want that?), grab myself at least one, possibly two solid closers, two high risk save gambles, and build on two solid starting pitchers. In a daily transactions league I’d probably look at trying to fill my third and fourth relief pitchers from the waiver wire, but with 11 shrewd competitors all playing the waiver wire weekly, I don’t want to be chasing saves under those circumstances. The odds just get a tad long when bidding against the entire league for one category. With no bench to work from I also liked the idea of building into my team a potential strength for future trading purposes. Those were the primary reasons behind the five-four split on starting versus relief pitching. I feel reasonably confident in my abilities to procure starting pitching off the waiver wire if I want to attempt to boost my strikeouts and wins down the road.

I spent a fair bit of time mulling over my first pick (fifth overall) options, and came to the conclusion that I was going to focus on stolen bases with that selection. I was hoping Jose Reyes would fall to me and if he didn’t, I was flipping a coin between the two suspects I felt might be there as alternative options — Grady Sizemore or David Wright. Conventional wisdom would suggest I take Wright, but who says I’ve ever been conventional? With that in mind, let’s see how our starting point for the 2009 season shapes up.

Round One – Sizemore, OF: So we’re going to take the unconventional route in 2009. The stolen base potential was just too enticing and I decided Sizemore was my man with the fifth overall pick. It is pretty hard to argue with the 33 homers, 90 RBI, 101 runs scored and 38 thefts in 2008. Is the best yet to come for the 26-year-old outfielder? It would certainly stand to reason considering he’s just about to enter his prime power years.

Round Two – Justin Morneau, 1B: I wanted a solid corner this year and the runner-up in the 2008 AL MVP vote is a solid bet. I’ll take 25 homers, 125 RBI, and a .290 BA out of first base for 2009. Besides, what would a RotoRob entry be without some serious Canadian content?

Round Three – Matt Kemp, OF: It might be a bit early, but in a league of this calibre one either reaches a tad or watches them disappear off the board. The potential for a 25-homer, 35-stolen base season from Kemp is just too high for me to see him on someone else’s team.

Round Four – Alex Rios, OF: As much as I’ve crapped on Rios in the past, the lure of those stolen bases combined with the modest power potential made it so I just couldn’t lay off. The potential for Rios to repeat 20+ stolen bases, improve his power, and hopefully have a healthy Vernon Wells to provide some protection in the Jay line-up, should lead to a solid campaign in 2009.

Round Five – Brian McCann, C: I wanted a solid catcher and McCann has the potential to be the best in the business. I’ll be more than happy with a repeat of that fine 2008 season.

Round Six – Joey Votto, 1B: The potential upside from Votto in 2009 is huge. I’m hoping that he can build on that strong finish in 2008, and move into the top tier at first base this year. Is a 30-homer, 100-RBI, 15-SB season too optimistic a projection for this young Canuck?

Round Seven – Brad Lidge, RP: Well, that takes care of the stud closer situation. Normally I’d stay away from this strategy, but as I’ve mentioned earlier, with a draft this early, and the level of competition, I don’t want to be focusing on getting lucky on the waiver wire. Everything is going according to plan.

Round Eight – Joakim Soria, RP: I might as well make it two closers early and shore up my saves. Soria had a truly outstanding 2008 campaign, posting a 1.60 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and finishing second in the AL to only Francisco Rodriguez with 42 saves. The bullpen is in very good shape.

Round Nine – Johnny Damon, OF: Okay, he’s getting up there a bit in age, but batting at the top of the order for the Yankees, he has to find a way to score 100 runs. Toss in 15 homers and 20+ stolen bases and he’s a perfect fit for my team strategy.

Round 10 – Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP: I’m still a believer that the best is yet to come for Dice-K, and 2009 is going to be the year that his walks will drop and the strikeouts will rise. Of course, I do have a bit of a bias, being that he was one of my NPB scouting projects. A.J. Burnett and Jon Lester went just before my pick, and Edinson Volquez, Ben Sheets, Ricky Nolasco, Yovani Gallardo, and Ryan Dempster all went before my next kick at the can, so I think I jumped in at the right time.

Round 11 – Matt Cain, SP: At some point in time, the skill sets demonstrated by the 24-year-old Cain have to translate into some wins, don’t they?

Round 12 – James Loney, 1B: I was looking for another power bat heading into this round and the guy I had my sights on, Xavier Nady of the Yankees, was taken with the pick immediately before mine. Brad Hawpe went two picks before Nady. My outfield was solid, so why not grab another first base type and shorten the position a tad? As I mentioned several times this offseason, I see first base as a tougher position to fill in 2009 than it has been for a very long time.

Round 13 – Adam Jones, OF: Prospect alert! I’ve been targeting Jones in most of my early mocks so why not in the real deal? If in fact we don’t see the progression in his skill sets that I’m anticipating, the options are fairly deep in the outfield for 2009. Apparently Jones has done some beefing up in the offseason, so let’s hope it helps in the power department and doesn’t diminish that stolen base potential.

Round 14 – Jose Lopez, 2B: Was last year an overachievment or the commencement of bigger and better things? The 25-year-old middle-infielder has 20-homer, 85-RBI potential and with my speed already in good shape, he fits my team plan perfectly.

Round 15 – Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B: Now, here’s a guy that is getting very little respect. PETCO Park is far from being a hitter’s paradise, but the proven 20-80 power out of Kouz is just too tough to pass on at this stage of the draft.

Round 16 – Orlando Cabrera, SS: He is still waiting to find a home for this year, but the speed and runs scored potential out of O-Cab makes him a decent option. Cabrera was also the last shortstop on the board with at least some potential, making this decision a very easy one. When I decided to go with a heavy outfield/first base mix for this team it had to be at a cost, and my middle-infield would be that cost.

Round 17 – Scott Baker, SP: The Twins just keep cranking out those young arms, and Baker is poised for what could be a breakout campaign. He’s young, throws strikes and in Round 17, this has the potential to be a steal. The 27-year-old finished last season with seven quality starts in his last eight appearances, a 3.45 ERA (eighth best in the AL), 141 strikeouts and 11 wins. That is more than enough to get my attention.

Round 18 – Jorge Posada, C: I’m hoping for at least a bit better upside out of Posada than some of the last round gambles at catcher. A 15-homer, 60-RBI season out of Posada as my second catcher will suffice.

Round 19 – Trevor Hoffman, RP: I’m not a huge fan of Hoffman heading into this season, but I simply couldn’t ignore the save potential this late. I gambled here and it looks like, with his subsequent signing by the Brewers, that he could be a nice bonus. Thirty saves in Round 19 has a nice ring to it.

Round 20 – Ubaldo Jimenez, SP: With Jimenez heading into his third season, I like the potential upside here. It wasn’t all that long ago that drafting starting pitching from the Rockies was a huge taboo, but not anymore. The 25-year-old has to cut down on the base-on-balls, but I really like the high strikeout potential. He could close in on the 200 K mark in 2009.

Round 21 – Chris Ray, RP: It’s getting near the end, so why not do some gambling? And Ray is a good candidate to gamble on. George Sherrill is not the long-term solution and, if healthy, Ray could either put me over the top in saves. Or, he could be one of my first cuts. But that’s why they call it a gamble.

Round 22 – Wandy Rodriguez, SP: What do you want for a 22nd round pick? Now that Rodriguez has conquered his road woes, a 14-win season and upwards of 175 strikeouts could make him a very valuable end-game play in 2009.

Round 23 – Aaron Hill, 2B: I had several options for my middle-infield with my last pick and decided to go with Hill. He managed a solid 2007 campaign, and if he can bounce back from his concussion woes of last year, Hill could be a nice bargain. There are several candidates still out there, and let’s face it, anyone knowing me fully realizes that I will be making some moves over the next several months.

Overall, I’m happy with my effort. I have a decent power base, my usual top three potential in stolen bases and a strong bullpen with a couple of solid starting pitchers to anchor my rotation. We’ll see how my strategy of building a strong outfield and shorting first base holds up as the season progresses. What will eventually make the difference, as always, are the gambles one takes, and I believe with this effort I’m heading in the right direction from both a risk and upside perspective.

Thanks again to Mike for getting this project underway and to all of the skilled participants in this year’s league. Welcome to the 2009 season!

We’re back with another installment of The Wire Troll. I’ve been a little preoccupied this week as I’ve been at the Danny Granger basketball camp. Look for a report on that experience soon, but in the meantime, let’s get to some who’s hot and why.

Ryan Braun: Over the past month, Braun has been hitting everything thrown at him, going 37-for-100 (.370 BA), scoring 22 runs, smacking seven home runs, and driving in 22 runs (not including his two-homer, four-RBI onslaught Friday night). Six steals is just icing on the cake. He is getting the starts, third base is a weak spot in many line-ups, and he is available in a few of my leagues right now.

Jonny Gomes: Now, I’ve cut him loose more than once myself. And, I am not sold on Gomes keeping up the pace he has shown over the past month. But, going 29-for-87 (.333 BA) with 14 runs, seven dingers, 18 RBI, and two steals is nothing to sneeze at. I’m not exactly sure I want to tell you to take a chance on him, but it’s hard to argue with those kind of numbers.