Ronnier Mustelier 3B (NYY) - There are going to be 200 ABs up for grabs, in all likelihood, for players that wouldn't otherwise have received them for the Yankees this spring before Granderson and Teixeira return. The obvious options are guys like Juan Rivera and Matt Diaz, while the early sleeper was toolsy youngster Melky Mesa. An intriguing option that hasn't been discussed as much is Cuban defector Ronnier Mustelier. Mustelier was not a "loud" signing back in 2011, inking for only $50K, but he's done nothing but hit since coming into the Yankee organization, putting up a 324/378/497 line across four levels over a season-plus. He's played some LF and some 3B over the past two years, the two areas of need right now if Youkilis is going to move across the diamond, and at age 28 I don't think much more seasoning is necessary. With the positive hitting impact of playing in that park, Mustelier could clearly provide value as a 3B/LF with 15 HR pop and 10 SB speed if he can get the playing time, so keep a close eye on this situation over the next few weeks.
Derrek Lee 1B (N/A) - Yet another interesting option for the Yankees in the "injury replacement" category is Derrek Lee, who sat last year out after showing his worst BB and K rates in a decade back in 2011. Lee is 37 now, but would provide a nice RH alternative to Travis Hafner even after Teixeira returns, and he has the sort of clubhouse presence the Yankees like. I wouldn't expect much out of him except a few homers, so his value is still likely relegated to the deepest of formats this spring.
Jose Quintana and Hector Santiago SP (CWS) - Jose Quintana and Hector Santiago are battling for the 5th starter's slot in Chicago, with Quintana getting the edge right now based on his early-season performance in 2012. Quintana tossed 57 innings with a 2.04 ERA in the first half filling in for the injured John Danks, but his ERA worsened in every month, ballooning ultimately over 5.00 for the second half in total, and even so his BABIP was still rather fortunate for the entire year. Hector Santiago was also fortunate with his average on balls hit into play, but in his four starts down the stretch he allowed just 4 runs over 19 1/3 innings, striking out 26. His stuff and upside are greater than Quintana's, but without the opportunity he merely merits watching for the time being. Quintana is a back-end option in deeper leagues for me, as his ERA is likely to rise from last year and his K rate is middling.
Adam Dunn 1B/DH (CWS) - Dunn had a solid bounceback year, at least in terms of power, in 2012 with 41 homers and 96 RBIs. Despite the 2nd-best LD rate of his career he suffered through his 3rd-lowest BABIP, hampering his AVG to the point where it became a lead weight instead of a minor nuisance. I do expect some rebound there, but likely only into the .225-.235 range, so really Dunn remains simply a cheap power grab in the later rounds despite 8 seasons in 9 with at least 38 homers. The likelihood of a sub-.200 average is just too high, but with the right strategy Dunn could be a nice fit.
Michael Saunders OF (SEA) - Saunders was a fairly useful player last year in his first full season, and as a 26 year old in an improved offense here in 2013, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him have a chance at a 25/25 season where he provides value in the four categories outside of AVG. The K's are a big enough concern that I would imagine a return to his minor league AVG (.277) is out of the question, but there may be a bit of BABIP-related upside here as well....perhaps enough to get up near .260. Saunders could be very valuable regardless, but getting close to the norm in AVG would help tremendously. I'm bullish here.
Erasmo Ramirez SP (SEA) - Ramirez is a nice sleeper in AL-only and deeper mixed leagues this season, as he appears to have a better than average chance of starting the season in the rotation, is part of an improved club in one of the best pitching parks in baseball, and he has solid stuff and very good control. Ramirez is a 22 year old from Nicaragua with only three pro seasons under his belt, but he was already pitching in AAA toward the end of his second pro season, so he's shown some solid success moving through the chain. The K rates aren't stellar, and he had some very favorable luck with BABIP at the big league level last year, but there's definitely the chance of some solid WHIP and W numbers here for the back end of a rotation.
Zack Greinke SP (LAD) - My enthusiasm for Greinke this year has gone from "ridiculous" to "significant" after the news that Greinke's elbow is still bothering him 10 days after the first bit of discomfort, but with all tests showing no structural problems and with Greinke himself stating that he's dealt with this often and never missed a start, I'm left simply salivating over the move from LA to, well, LA. It may just be crosstown, but the move to the pitchers league is always significant.....even with Houston in the AL. Greinke has excellent control, still solid stuff, and the Dodgers are definitely a pennant contender. Greinke should be a clear #1 this season.
Scott Kazmir SP (CLE) - I believe it has gone: pity, surprise, confusion, and careful consideration thus far on the emotional spectrum regarding Scott Kazmir this spring. Kazmir has been a complete mess since 2010, failing even to post a sub-5.00 ERA in the Atlantic League (independent ball) last season over 13 starts, so to see him in camp for the Indians, well, it was a cute little story. Fast forward three outings (plus one B-squad game), and now there's just a hint of reality to it. Kazmir has given up five hits and a walk over eight scoreless innings in A-squad games, striking out eight. Yes, it's spring training, but his velocity already looks better than it has in five years, back when he was posting mid-3.00 ERA's and striking out more than a batter per inning. It's too early to get really excited just yet, but his chances of making the rotation have gone from virtually zero to, in my estimation, better than 50% in just three weeks. As a late-round flier in deep leagues, there are worse lottery tickets around.
Brian Roberts 2B (BAL) - Roberts has opened up the spring 8-20 with 2 doubles and a homer, and really my only question now is whether or not he'll still have the speed that made him one of the better 2B in the league four years ago. If he can steal swipe 20 bags and hit for a decent average, he's certainly worth a draft pick this spring, and I do expect that he will be able to approach that level of play from what I've seen thus far.
Hunter Morris 1B (MIL) - We're getting into mid-March and we still have little idea who will be playing 1B for Milwaukee on Opening Day. Hunter Morris is as good a guess as any at this point, and he's been drafted in a couple of my leagues already in anticipation that he'll win the job. An interesting tidbit on Morris is that his big breakout last year at AA came playing for his hometown team, the AA Huntsville Stars. Huntsville plays in a rather poor hitting environment, but Morris played much better at home than he did on the road last season, which makes me wonder if he is going to deal with anyplace else quite as well. Morris has power and is still just 24, but enough contact-related issues and the aforementioned interesting splits would give me pause in drafting him this year.
Brad Peacock SP (HOU) - Peacock was one of the players that came over in the Lowrie deal, and with a wide open bottom two slots in the Houston rotation, some sleeper potential is in effect here. Peacock was pretty atrocious in AAA last season, but the PCL's run scoring environment is immense. If Houston were still in the NL Central I'd be more excited about Peacock's prospects, as his K rates in the minors have been fantastic the past three years, but pitching in the AL might be a bit beyond his abilities at present. Still, as a reserve selection, a pitcher with consistent K rates over 9.00/9 in the minors merits a look.
Kevin Slowey SP (MIA) - Sticking with the "sleeping 5th starter" theme, the Marlins have wide open competition for many spots on their roster...it's almost like Major League 4 down there. Kevin Slowey has always had solid control but high flyball rates, so pitching down in Miami could provide him an environment conducive to success, although wins will definitely be tough to come by. For a late game option in deeper leagues as a starter, though, favorable WHIP and ERA hurlers are tough to come by, so he's someone to look at for your end-game draft scenarios.
Matt Carpenter 1B/2B/3B (STL) - There is still no clear favorite to open the season as the Cardinal 2B, as all three of Dan Descalso, Matt Carpenter, and Kolten Wong are playing well when given the chance. I like Carpenter's chances of getting the most playing time in the first half of the year, while Wong is likely to push him to the bench by season's end. Carpenter could give you a solid AVG and a half dozen homers or so in the first half, making him a reasonable late-round choice in deeper mixed leagues and certainly in NL-only formats, while Wong is an excellent reserve option in all formats and should be a mid-tier option at worst for 2014.
Chris Nelson 3B (COL) - I guy I've been targeting late in my deeper mixed leagues is Chris Nelson, as the one-time top prospect broke out a little bit last year with Colorado and is the favorite to come out of camp as the starter at 3B. Nelson offers a little bit of production across the board, and with the added benefit of playing in Colorado combined with his age-27 status, I think it's possible that there's some decent upside here...perhaps along the lines of .280 with 15 HR.
Casey Janssen RP (TOR) - Janssen is progressing well enough from an offseason shoulder injury that he may very well be ready to close games again by Opening Day, and with the Blue Jays looking vastly improved, he could be one of the more valuable closers in the game after a stellar improvement in both BB and K rate in 2012. Sergio Santos is a reasonable handcuff here, but Janssen could be extremely valuable in 2013.
