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**Big Tymer** · 02-15-2014, 07:57 AM

For those not in the league, as you can tell there is a lot of trading of picks. We go way beyond top 100 lists since going into this draft we probably have over 150 prospects already rostered (I have 13 rostered already myself so only using 2 picks). This is kind of a hybrid keeper / dynasty league in that we only keep 10 major leaguers but go 15 deep on the farm. You can keep farm players down in your minor league roster for free indefinitely so long as they retain rookie status. A player drafted in round 1 has a $6 salary (when called up), round 2 = $5, round 3= $4 and so on. Once you call a player up, you can keep them at their drafted salary for basically 3 years (current year + 2 more) before you need to decide on an extension. Thus, top prospects are extremely valuable assets and required trade chips if you are trying to win.

Hope that helps add some additional context for those who want to follow. Also, our league (with a little drama) decided that international players are not minor leaguers and cannot be drafted (Tanaka and Abreu have to be bought at auction)

**Big Tymer** · 02-15-2014, 09:19 AM

I'm assuming Steve will keep the board updated in his post but 2 picks are in. Bryant went 1:1 as expected. With the #2 pick, I went with Clint Frazier. Prospect lists are helpful but as is often discussed you need to separate baseball lists from fantasy lists. To clear out the noise from multiple lists, I actually create a composite ranking of prospects from 8 sources weighting each list differently based on personal preference (e.g. I like Parks and Law better than the Baseball HQ list but consider all).

I locked in on Frazier a couple of months ago and actually traded up from the #3 pick to get him. Wasn't going to be taking a pitcher and from a fantasy perspective I view Frazier as the clear #2. I think Meadows will be a good player but doesn't have quite the projection it seems as Frazier and in a league like this I'll always chase ceiling. The swing a miss does concern me a little but love the bat speed and work ethic and think he'll figure it out. Could very well be in most top 20 lists next year (if not higher).

**Hornsby** · 02-15-2014, 09:35 AM

Taking Gray is likely going to be a bit controversial, since he'll be pitching in the thin air of Denver. But I think that his incredible power stuff will easily transcend the park effects, and he'll generate more swings and misses than the vast majority of pitchers.

I agree with Chris on the secondary players, I actually have 3 notebook pages full of guys that I like, and I've got 3 3rd rounders to get some of them. It's a gamble, but all minor leaguers are...

**Big Tymer** · 02-15-2014, 09:42 AM

I think if you were ok taking a pitcher, then Gray was the best one. He'll be quick to the bigs most likely and it does seem like he has the stuff to succeed in Coors Field. Would you have taken him at #2 now that we're done with the trade? Curious if I could have had Frazier anyway.

**Hornsby** · 02-15-2014, 09:55 AM

Originally posted by Big Tymer View Post

I think if you were ok taking a pitcher, then Gray was the best one. He'll be quick to the bigs most likely and it does seem like he has the stuff to succeed in Coors Field. Would you have taken him at #2 now that we're done with the trade? Curious if I could have had Frazier anyway.

No, I would have taken Frazier...big time power bats are rare birds indeed. But out of the rest of the guys, there was just no standout bat for me, all have question marks that made it too risky to take them. Gray has no such question marks, perhaps a little delivery problem, but nothing to really concern me. I think that Appel is going to be very successful, but I just don't have the same vibe on him as I do with Gray...

**gcstomp** · 02-15-2014, 10:25 AM

Im one of the 2 rookies to this league, and the 15 deep farm was a big selling point for me. Unfortunately the team I took over was a winner, I assume, on a successful run last year to fame n fortune. I have to think they were a money team, as they left me no farm, as in ranked 18 out of 18 by a fair margin imo, and no # 1 farm pick, and some expensive stud guys on the roster. In the few weeks I have had team I flipped my keeper sp's for solid value 4/5 cat hitters and added 10 quality farm guys, shed the expensive contracts that I wasnt going to keep, and opted out of this farm auction completely by capping out to 15 before we started. IMO, this years crop outside of 1st rd top 18 guys was a bit of a snooze fest.

I am really looking forward to this league which for lack of a better word is vibrant, with lots of clashing vocal personalities.

**Hammer** · 02-15-2014, 10:35 AM

i pick the players with the prettiest minor league uniforms.

**revo** · 02-15-2014, 12:22 PM

Clint Frazier was born in 1994. My god I'm old.

**Don Quixote** · 02-15-2014, 12:28 PM

Originally posted by revo View Post

Clint Frazier was born in 1994. My god I'm old.

No kidding. My first year in fantasy baseball was 1995.

The picks so far--Bryant and Frazier were obvious. Moran is the only one who may have been a reach, but he does have credentials and there's a wide open position on the big league club waiting for him in 2015 or 2016. I might have taken Appel instead of Gray, but heck, they're pitchers, who knows.

**Big Tymer** · 02-15-2014, 12:40 PM

Agree, Moran and even Ervin went a little earlier than I expected but there is little differentiation with position players so it all comes down to preference. Moran has the opportunity for sure but just not sure how much projection there is. I've personally been burned by going the "safe" college bat before but it does work out sometimes.

**Hornsby** · 02-15-2014, 08:51 PM

Really like what Ray has done...maximized his picks, IMO. A couple of reaches, but that's to be expected in a draft that really hasn't got a lot of "stars".

Not sure what to make out of Domonic Smith, I hear James Loney comps, and I hear big power projections...probably somewhere in-between.

**Big Tymer** · 02-15-2014, 08:53 PM

Meadows fell too far imo and like Domonic Smith as well in a OBA league since it seems he has a nice approach. Question of the power, but could be a Freddie Freeman type in time.

**Don Quixote** · 02-15-2014, 09:13 PM

"Though this be madness, yet there is method to it."

Not really, but it makes it sound like I know what I'm doing. I didn't really want to take two pitchers among my three picks, but sometimes you have to go with what's there, and as I see it the bigger upside so far in this draft is with the pitchers. As a wise (or at least extremely rich) man once said, "You can't always get what you want."

**Don Quixote** · 02-15-2014, 09:50 PM

Originally posted by eldiablo505

Damn, I was definitely targeting Mookie Betts.

And Urias was one of my top two pitchers.

Nice picks, Andy.

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