We take a look at Fantasy corner infielders every Tuesday. All stats and notes are through games of Monday, June 27.
As much as you try and prepare for your Fantasy Baseball draft before the season by reading anything and everything, players will slip through the cracks. It's inevitable.
The year Dontrelle Willis made a big splash with the Marlins started in Double-A Carolina. After his midseason call-up in 2003, he went 11-2 out of the gate. How many owners took a flier on him on draft day? Outside of Dontrelle's immediate family, probably nobody.
Depending upon how your league is set up, taking a flier on a minor-league stud hoping he gets the call can make or break your team. In some formats (like one of my leagues for instance), the only way to land a guy like Willis is to take him on Draft Day and reserve him. If he goes undrafted, all of those wins and Ks go unused.
Where is this going exactly? To Detroit, where Chris Shelton is proving what many experts already knew ... the guy can mash.
Shelton, who led the Arizona Fall League with a .404 average and was named league MVP, didn't factor into Detroit's plans at first base in the spring, at least in 2005. With Carlos Pena and Dmitri Young in the mix, Shelton was handed a one-way ticket to Triple-A Toledo to start the season. But with Pena's continued struggles and Young better suited for the DH role, Shelton walked right through the open door.
Since his call-up, Shelton has hit at a .317 clip in 60 at-bats with three HRs and 14 RBI. A originally a catcher, Shelton has a career .332 average in five minor-league seasons. Depending on your league rules, he could be a difference-maker at the always thin catcher position. His position versatility is invaluable, and it appears he's in the Bigs to stay, splitting time at first base and as the designated hitter. He is also an emergency catcher.
Based on the roster trends in CBS SportsLine.com leagues, the majority of owners have yet to catch on. He is owned in only 34 percent of leagues, up 17 percent from just last week, making him the most-added corner infielder. He is a must-own in AL-only formats and is worth making room for in mixed leagues as well.
Guys like Shelton, Ervin Santana, Aaron Hill, Mike Morse, Kelly Johnson, Tim Stauffer, Damon Hollins, Ben Johnson, Chien-Ming Wang, Kyle Davies, Prince Fielder, Lance Niekro, Dan Johnson, Ryan Doumit and Rickie Weeks more often than not make the difference in Fantasy leagues. Owners who jump on prospects early -- or even before they get the call -- more often than not have a leg up on their league.
| Most-added CI | ||
| Player | TM | |
| 1. | Bill Hall | MIL |
| 2. | Jorge Cantu | TAM |
| 3. | Chris Shelton | DET |
| 4. | Darin Erstad | LAA |
| 5. | Aaron Hill | TOR |
| 6. | Placido Polanco | DET |
| 7. | Joe Randa | CIN |
| 8. | Robinson Cano | NYY |
| 9. | Bill Mueller | BOS |
| 10. | Scott Rolen | STL |
News, notes and anecdotes
- He might only be hitting a disappointing .216, but at least Casey Blake is now eligible at third base in some formats. Thanks to interleague play, Blake has now played four games at the hot corner, with the rest in the outfield. Now, if he could just improve at the plate ...
- A little word association: Phil Nevin and Mike Sweeney. First basemen? You would be correct. But we're going for disabled list, a place both of these oft-injured sluggers currently reside. Nevin, who strained a muscle in his side during batting practice last week, should be back before the All-Star break. Ben Johnson should get at-bats in his absence. Sweeney, out since June 15 with a wrist injury, took batting practice in Minnesota on Monday and could be back in action Friday when the Royals host the Angels. Both are off to solid starts, but are also one swing away from going back on the DL.
- Jorge Cantu didn't even have a job when he arrived at training
camp with the Devil Rays, with the newly signed Roberto Alomar
ticketed for the everyday second-base duties. But with Alomar retiring
and no real solution at third, Cantu went from no jobs to two. He has
started 32 games at second base and 35 at third base, posting numbers
of .297-12-44-34. That type of versatility and production are unheard
of, potentially making him Tampa's All-Star representative.
Most-dropped CI Player TM 1. Ryan Freel CIN 2. Phil Nevin SD 3. Mike Sweeney KC 4. Vinny Castilla WAS 5. Hee Seop Choi LAD 6. Edgardo Alfonso SF - The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports Michael Cuddyer has lost his hold on the Twins' everyday third-baseman job. Glenn Williams got his fifth consecutive start at the position Monday against the Royals. Cuddyer was on the bench again Monday but likely will start at second base again Tuesday, manager Ron Gardenhire said. Though Gardenhire hasn't come out and said it, Cuddyer appears to have slipped back into a utility role. "He can move around," Gardenhire said. "He's moved around before. Everybody wants to play every day in the big leagues -- we all know that. You know what? We also want to win baseball games."
- The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports the Padres have "very mild interest" in Bret Boone, since All-Star second baseman Mark Loretta is on the disabled list.
- Nick Punto took another step closer to coming off the disabled list, running the bases to test his strained right hamstring. Punto will report Tuesday to Triple-A Rochester, where he is expected to work out before beginning a rehabilitation assignment Wednesday. Punto could be back at second base for the Twins next week.
You can e-mail your Fantasy Baseball corner-infield questions to bleacher@commissioner.com. Be sure to put Attn: Corner Infielders in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.