Your Ideal MLB team

[Dry1313]

Try and keep it under 85 million if you can.


C: Dioner Navarro ($412,500, 24 YO) He's definitely a respectable hitter, especially for a catcher, but he won't set the world on fire. In his career, he's thrown out 87/197 and fielded at a .989 clip, which are decent numbers.
But if you throw out his years with the Dodgers, and reevaluate his CS/SB #s, the dude has thrown out 78/148, good for 52.7%. At his contract and age, it's a no-brainer.

1B: Albert Pujols ($13,870,949, 28 YO) I don't really need to delve into his numbers to establish how great he is, or how he's the worthiest 28 year old making 13 mil. Let's just say that this dude has ranked in the top 2 in OPS+ since 2003, and averages a .334 BA and 42 HR. Yes please.

2B: Ian Kinsler ($700,000, 26 YO) A guy I wanted regardless of salary turned out to be the biggest bargain on my team. Kinsler is a career .290 hitter, with an OPS+ of 117. He averages 26 SB and 3 CS per year, and has had a steadily increasing OBP over his career. Not necessarily a cornerstone of a team, but a fine, fine player to have for only 700k.

3B: Alex Gordon ($406,000, 24 YO) OK, so he isn't close to his potential...however, he is only 24, improved a ton last year, and, if anything, offers a reasonable bottom of the lineup bat with a good arm at a cheap salary. If he blows up, well, he'll be worth it then too.

SS: JJ Hardy ($2,650,000, 26 YO) Really came into his own, hitting the crap out of the ball. If he can avoid injury time, I love his power and FP.

LF: Reed Johnson ($1,300,000, 32 YO) Expect a .280/.340/.410 with great defense and scrappy play. Would be the unsung hero of the team.

CF: Nate McLouth ($425,000, 27 YO) Read: good hitter, amazing defense, balls to the wall attitude. .270/.340/.460 is great by me, even if he can only eek out 15 HRs simply because the mix of arm/defense combined with 20 SB capability is damned good. Has the ceiling to hit .300 and hit 25 HR.

RF: Nick Markakis ($455,000, 26 YO) .300/.375/.475 with 20 HR, 20 SB, GG defense and a great attitude? Who cares if he is Greek?

Bench C: Miguel Olivo ($2,050,000, 30 YO) Throws out a significant majority of runners, has started before, and can hit well in a pinch. While 2 mil is a hike, due to some bargains, he's affordable.

Bench CIF: Chris Duncan ($439,000, 28 YO) Has the ship sailed on him yet? He has a ton of power, and can hit for average too. A bit of an albatross in the field, but he has a good arm at the very least. Prototypical pinch hitter.

Bench MIF: Josh Barfield ($395,800, 26 YO) Still has potential, can field well, and has a little bit of pop in his bat. He probably won't get much time in the field, but he could be a good pinch hitter.

Bench OF: Wily Mo Pena ($2,000,000, 27 YO) Why not? He's got some raw power and speed, and a damn good arm. Too bad he's not hitting his potential; still, maybe a full year at DH could serve him well.

Bench UTIL: David Newhan ($575,000, 34 YO) Plays good defense at 1B, 2B, 3B, LF, RF and has a little bit of a bat. Scrappy.

#1: Danny Haren ($4,050,000, 28 YO) Because his Ks, WHIP, and IP have all been league leaders since he started. Low walks, high Ks, and he's only making 4 mil. Let's be honest, it would've been unfair to give myself Lincecum.

#2: Chad Billingsley ($415,000, 24 YO) After his first full season we can tell that he'll be one of the best #2s in baseball, if not a middle #1. Once again, mix of IP, Ks, and WHIP makes him highly attractive.

#3: Mike Pelfrey ($1,987,500, 25 YO) Finally put together a good season. Reasonable K/BB, reasonable WHIP, and a good ERA. With his #2 upside and his confidence, he's an excellent #3.

#4: Tim Wakefield ($4,000,000, 42 YO) He's old, he's been in the playoffs in both a losing, walkoff capacity, and a World Series winning capacity. While he might not be able to teach the younger pitchers how to pitch, he can show them how to act and what to say and do. All of that, and he still gives his team a good chance to win every 5th day.

#5: Zach Duke ($400,000, 26 YO) Has been almost awful since his rookie year. But he has the stuff and makeup to be a solid #3, and maybe pitching with a great defense will help him.

MR: Jeff Karstens ($393,300, 26 YO) Showed flashes of brilliance in Pittsburgh and NY, and could potentially be a top set up man if he can reconcile his stuff and methodically address hitters.

MR: Brandon Lyon ($3,125,000, 29 YO) Consistent performer with good stuff. He has his problems, like all relievers, but when it comes down to it, you can count on Lyon.

MR: CJ Wilson ($417,460, 28) Saved 24 games in '08, albeit with a 6 run ERA. Would be best suited in middle relief, where he would have a chance to use his stuff with a little less pressure.

MR: Rafael Betancourt ($2,050,000, 34 YO) Averages a 3 run ERA and 68 games, and has pitched consistently well his entire career. Definitely an under the radar pitcher, he has been one of the ALs better relievers for the past few years.

MR: RA Dickey ($380,000, 34 YO) My most likely mopup candidate with a twist: dude throws a knuckler and a 92 MPH fastball! Maybe he can take Wakefield's spot in the rotation if Wakefield mentors him properly.

SU: Carlos Marmol ($430,000, 26 YO) The future closer for the team. We all know the kind of stuff he has, and now we know he has the makeup as well. A few years of tutelage from the greatest closer ever will help him even further.

CL: Mariano Rivera ($15,000,000, 39 YO) Trails only Trevor Hoffman in saves, has closed out three world series and numerous playoff games, is the all-time ERA+ leader, and is probably one of the coolest and professional players ever. Worth every penny of his overpriced contract.

Payroll: $83,489,409

[love_that_reefer]

Are you basing this off last year's salary of this year's?

[Dry1313]

Are you basing this off last year's salary of this year's?

Last years.

Where does one find this years?

[Kingdom]

What site did you use for last year's?

[Dry1313]

What site did you use for last year's?

Baseball reference, duh!

[love_that_reefer]

This is my team based off last year's salaries:

C- Yadier Molina ($1.75 million): Molina is only 25 and he keeps getting better and better. He is the best defensive catcher in baseball and he is an extremely smart player. He hit .304 last year and keeps getting better in that department. Great defense, youth, brains and upside make him my ideal catcher.

1B- Albert Pujols ($16 million): Pujols is the best player in all of baseball. He plays GG caliber defense and hits the ball all over the place. Not more more I need to say.

2B- Dustin Perdroia ($457,000): Dustin is the reigning MVP and GG at second plus he won the ROY last year. He can do it all. Hits for average, power, plays good defense and can even steal a base.

SS- Jimmy Rollins ($8 million): Gotta have a leadoff man and Rollins is my guy. He might not have the desired OBP for a leadoff man but he more than makes up for it. He was the MVP two years ago and plays great defense at SS. Defense is my theme here. Rollins is just a great all around player who can hit the long ball and steal bases. Great guy to have in the clubhouse too.

3B- Evan Longoria ($250,000): Couldn't find his salary from last season so I gave him league minimum. The guy is already a star and is a stud at third base. He will have many GGs in his future and he can swing the bat too. He's only 23 and just won the ROY award.

LF- Jason Bay ($5.5 million): Bay is a great hitter and he can field the ball as well. Bay averages 31 HRs, 103 RBI and a .375 OBP. He is a bargain in today's market and a two time All Star.

CF- Grady Sizemore ($3 million): Sizemore is one of the most exciting talents in all of baseball. He plays GG defense in CF and he can hit for power. Grady possesses a lot of speed and can steal 30 bases and probably a lot more.

RF- Nick Markakis ($455,000): Markakis is the most complete RFer in the game. He hits for average, power and has a cannon for an arm. He is only 24 and is getting better with each passing year.

Bench- Ryan Freel ($3 million): Freel can play all OF spots and everywhere on the infield except first. He plays balls out and can steal you a lot of bases. He is a great option of the bench and good short time fix if someone gets injured.

Bench- Ryan Church ($2 million): Church can play all three OF positions and can hit a little bit too. I like the way he plays the game and would definitely be a great guy to have off the bench.

Bench- Mike Lamb ($3.5 million): Lamb is my option for the infield corners off the bench. He can play a little OF to but he would be the corner guy. Lamb is a good guy to have on the bench.

Bench- Pablo Sandoval ($250,000): Sandoval can also play the corner spots but he is my backup catcher. Again I couldn't find his salary so gave him the league minimum. Sandoval really impressed last year hitting .345 in 145 ABs.

#1- Tim Lincecum ($405,000): Lincecum aka the Freak is the reigning NL Cy Young winner and a true ace. He lead the league in strikeouts and is only 24. His 18-5 record for such an awful team tells the story

#2- Matt Cain ($950,000): Cain is just a few months younger than Lincecum but has more experience. Cain has a career ERA of 3.74 and has powerful stuff. Keeping Lincecum and Cain together would do some good.

#3- Brandon Webb ($5.5 million): Webb is a former Cy Young winner and with a career ERA of 3.24. He has finished first or second in the last three Cy Young finishes. His average of 226 innings a year is very, very appealing.

#4- Cole Hamels ($500,000): Got to have a lefty and who better than Cole Hamels. After three seasons, Hamels has a ERA 3.43 and is only 25 years old. And did anyone see this guy in the postseason last year?

#5- Clayton Kershaw ($250,000): Another league minimum guy since I couldn't find his price tag. He is only 20 and struck out 100 batters in 107 innings last year. His ERA was high but I will forgive that since it was his first year and he is so young. I like this kid a lot and see very good things from him. Plus I had to get another lefty.

RP- Carlos Marmol ($430,000): Marmol has been one of the best setup men in all of baseball over the past two seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. He is 26 and has electric stuff.

RP- Dennys Reyes ($1 million): Reyes is a lefty who has put together three straight seasons of very good work.

RP- Rafeal Perez ($406,000): Perez is a lefty as well who has had a very good run in his three years of service. He is 26 and posts a 2.89 ERA of his three years. He is a good left handed option out of the pen.

RP- Joakim Soria ($426,000): Soria has been the closer for the Royals the past two years and has 59 of them over that span. He is one of the most underrated closers in baseball and posted a 1.60 ERA last year.

RP- Jose Arredondo ($250,000): Arredondo turned a lot of heads last season and has an electric arm. He could be the replacement for Krod at closer next year for the Angels. He had a 1.62 ERA in his first year and is only 24. Again, couldn't find his salary from last year.

RP- Brian Fuentes ($5 million): Fuentes is my veteran of the group. I know Reyes is one too but Fuentes is my main guy. He has a career ERA of 3.41 and can close when you need him to. Plus he gives me the balance of three lefties and three righties out of the pen.

CL- Jonathan Papelbon ($775,000): Papelbon is one of the best closers in baseball and definitely the best for the money. He has 113 saves and a 1.84 ERA in his short career thus far. The man also has a ring to go with it. This guy is a beast!!

Payroll= $60,054,000

[Dry1313]

Yeah, that team is good, but I could never see a team realistically having Pujols, Pedroia, Rollins, Longoria, Sizemore, Bay, Markakis and then having Lincecum, Cain, Webb and Hamels.

Count that in with your relievers, and how is a team going to get that?

Fantasy draft wise, that probably wouldn't be possible.


It's ridiculous that those people are only adding up to 60 million though

[love_that_reefer]

Well I didn't know it had to be realistic or going based on what I could get in a fantasy draft. I just made the team I would love to have if I were a GM and had a budget. I think I made a fantastic team and only spent $60 million, $25 million under budget

[General]

McLouth has one of the worse arms in CF. Not quite Juan Pierre, but his defense is vastly overrated.

[Dry1313]

McLouth has one of the worse arms in CF. Not quite Juan Pierre, but his defense is vastly overrated.

I saw him play three times live this year, and trust me, you're wrong.

He gunned the shit out of Russell Martin in the All Star game.

[ljshorty89]

C: Russel Martin ($500,000, 25 YO) Solid defensive player, excellent hitter, great bargain.

1B: Albert Pujols ($13,870,949, 28 YO) I don't really need to delve into his numbers to establish how great he is, or how he's the worthiest 28 year old making 13 mil. Let's just say that this dude has ranked in the top 2 in OPS+ since 2003, and averages a .334 BA and 42 HR. Yes please.

2B: Ian Kinsler ($700,000, 26 YO)Career .290 hitter, with an OPS+ of 117. He averages 26 SB and 3 CS per year, and has had a steadily increasing OBP over his career. Not necessarily a cornerstone of a team, but a fine, fine player to have for only 700k.

3B: David Wright ($5,250,000, 25 YO) OK, so obviously I'm biased, but the guy is 25, he's still a bargain, and he's a proven, consistent producer. .300 average, 25 HR, 100 RBI is guaranteed, and his defense is improving every year.

SS: Jose Reyes ($4,375,000, 25 YO) More bias, but you can't say no to a guy this cheap who gives you speed, defense, and some decent pop.

LF: Matt Kemp ($406,000, 24 YO) I know he's not specifically a LF, but he's a young, cheap, good talent. I'll stick him in left, and count on some damn good offense, and decent fielding.

CF: Grady Sizemore ($3,166,666): Sizemore is one of the most exciting talents in all of baseball. He plays GG defense in CF and he can hit for power. Grady possesses a lot of speed and can steal 30 bases and probably a lot more.

RF: Nick Markakis ($455,000, 26 YO) .300/.375/.475 with 20 HR, 20 SB, GG defense and a great attitude?

Bench C: Ramon Castro ($1,975,000, 32 YO) Throws out a significant amount of runners, and is one of the best backups in the majors.

Bench CIF: James Loney ($411,000, 24 YO) Young power hitting corner IF, good potential, shot to come of the bench.

Bench MIF: Damion Easley ($950,800, 39 YO) Solid fielder, decent hitter.

Bench OF: Denard Span ($300,000, 24 YO) Why not? He's got speed, an arm, and some contact ability. He'll be a solid role player

Bench UTIL: Joe McEwing ($300,000, 36 YO) The greatest.

#1: John Maine ($450,000, 27 YO) Had a down year, but was great in 2007. He has the stuff, and he's cheap.

#2: Chad Billingsley ($415,000, 24 YO) After his first full season we can tell that he'll be one of the best #2s in baseball, if not a middle #1. Once again, mix of IP, Ks, and WHIP makes him highly attractive.

#3: Mike Pelfrey ($1,987,500, 25 YO) Finally put together a good season. Reasonable K/BB, reasonable WHIP, and a good ERA. With his #2 upside and his confidence, he's an excellent #3.

#4: Jair Jurrjens ($390,000, 22 YO) He's young, cheap, and talented.

#5: Paul Maholm ($424,500, 26 YO) Has been pretty good on the Pirates...

MR: Jeff Karstens ($393,300, 26 YO) Showed flashes of brilliance in Pittsburgh and NY, and could potentially be a top set up man if he can reconcile his stuff and methodically address hitters.

MR: Brandon Lyon ($3,125,000, 29 YO) Consistent performer with good stuff. He has his problems, like all relievers, but when it comes down to it, you can count on Lyon.

MR: CJ Wilson ($417,460, 28) Saved 24 games in '08, albeit with a 6 run ERA. Would be best suited in middle relief, where he would have a chance to use his stuff with a little less pressure.

MR: Rafael Betancourt ($2,050,000, 34 YO) Averages a 3 run ERA and 68 games, and has pitched consistently well his entire career. Definitely an under the radar pitcher, he has been one of the ALs better relievers for the past few years.

MR: RA Dickey ($380,000, 34 YO) My most likely mopup candidate with a twist: dude throws a knuckler and a 92 MPH fastball! Maybe he can take Wakefield's spot in the rotation if Wakefield mentors him properly.

SU: Carlos Marmol ($430,000, 26 YO) The future closer for the team. We all know the kind of stuff he has, and now we know he has the makeup as well.

CL: Jonathan Papelbon ($775,000, 28 YO) Cheap, dominant closer.

Payroll: $43,897,375(That seems awfully low)

[General]

Super Joe!

[realmofotalk]

C Toby Hall - He's a gamer,
1b Rich Aurilia - grinder,
2b Craig Counsell - gritter,
SS David Ecksten - who doesn't take a play off,
3b Casey Blake - doesn't take an at-bat off,
LF Brian Jordan - He's a great character guy.
CF Marquis Grissom - He's a veteran.
RF Justin Ruggiano - He's a guy who's won.

[Porter]

The Tampa Bay Rays.

[HollywoodLeo]

Philadelphia Phillies FTW