Welcome to our fourth week of position reviews. We're discussing third basemen this week, beginning with the draftable NL players today.

We currently plan to post this week's articles in the following order:
Monday: National Leaguers with Positive Draft Value.
Tuesday: National Leaguers without Positive Draft Value.
Wednesday: Minor League Free Agents and AAA/AA Prospects from the NL.
Thursday: American Leaguers with Positive Draft Value.
Friday: American Leaguers without Positive Draft Value.
Saturday: Minor League Free Agents and AAA/AA Prospects from the AL.

National League Third Basemen with Positive Draft Value

Quick Key to the tables:
AB = At-bats.  H = Hits.  BA = Batting Average.  HR= Home Runs.
RBI = Runs Batted In.  SB = Stolen Bases.  R = Runs.  B = Bats.  T = Throws.
Position(s) = Positions listed with 20 or more 2001 appearances.
4x4 = BA, HR, RBI, and SB in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
5x5 = BA, HR, RBI, SB, and R in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
DV = Draft Value.  DTCD = Draft Total Category Dollars.
AV = Actual Value.  ATCD = Actual Total Category Dollars.
LABR/Tout = 2001 Expert League prices; LABR for 4x4. Tout Wars for 5x5.

A brief review of what our dollar values mean:
Draft Value is how much a player should have gone for on draft day.
DTCD is the highest acceptable draft day price without a value loss.
Actual Value is how much a player earned this year.
ATCD is the highest price at which you could have owned a player without a value loss in leagues with an in-season salary cap.

Players are ranked in order from the highest draft value in a 4x4 league to the lowest.

1.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Chipper Jones		572	189	.330	38	102	9	113	3B-149
ATL Braves		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:S    T:R	4x4:	36		34		27		26		34
2001 Age: 29	5x5:	35		32		27		25		31

Larry continues to perform at some of the highest levels of production in baseball history. Atlanta signed him to a fairly reasonable extension over a year ago, though they really need to leave him in the infield to keep his bat as valuable as what they're paying. He should be both drafted at and worth a little over $30, so open up the checkbook if you want these very consistent stats on your team.

2.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Albert Pujols		590	194	.329	37	130	1	112	3B-55, 1B-43, OF-78
STL Cardinals		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	34		33		26		25		Res
2001 Age: 21	5x5:	34		31		26		24		Res

What we know: Pujols had a fantastic rookie year, one of the 10 best offensive rookie years of all time. He deserved MVP consideration but probably should have finished no higher than 5th or 6th, especially since he wasn't even the most valuable player at his best position. I'd expect him to repeat with relatively similar numbers over the next few years as the Cardinals cleanup hitter.

What we don't know: Pujols's age and position. The Sporting News reported that LaRussa would like to leave him at 3B unless they make a trade since the Cardinals think that first basemen and outfielders are easier to find. I completely agree with this since 1B/OF are easier to find.

As far as his age, I suspect that there's more than a 50% chance that his listed birthday of January 16, 1980 is accurate. Why would he have come to a Missouri Community College from the Dominican and let himself be subject to the draft unless he really is only 21? On the other hand, we heard rumors at the AFL that he's told teammates that he's actually 24. Three years is a rather significant difference for a growth curve, and his true age probably decides whether he'll be just a productive veteran or instead a future Hall-of-Famer. Hope for 21, bid no higher than 150% of $21, and cross your fingers while hoping for more luck than consecutive 21s in Vegas, allowing lightning to strike twice with another $35 season in 2002.

3.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Phil Nevin		546	167	.306	41	126	4	97	3B-145
SD Padres		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	28		27		21		21		23
2001 Age: 30	5x5:	28		26		21		20		20

The Padres secured a solid cleanup hitter by inking Nevin to a four-year extension. He's peaking right now and isn't likely to hit 40 again, but I think his RBI might even go up with higher OBP at the top of the order. He's definitely worth at least $25, and any higher bids will be determined in part by his probable future position. Expect him to head to first for now, although don't be surprised if that changes quite suddenly to 2B or even back to 3B.

4.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Aramis Ramirez		603	181	.300	34	112	5	83	3B-157
PIT Pirates		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	26		25		20		19		11
2001 Age: 23	5x5:	25		23		19		18		16

Ramirez finally had the breakout season that so many had predicted for the last few years. His BA was high considering his plate discipline, though I suspect he's as likely to return to his formerly high BB:K ratios as he is to drop in average. The power should be here to stay and could even reach 40 HR very soon, with the RBIs also going up if the Pirates improve their lineup. A return-to-form from Kendall would raise the value of the middle-of-the-order hitters.

5.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Jeff Cirillo		528	165	.313	17	83	12	72	3B-137
COL Rockies		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	25		24		19		19		26
2001 Age: 31	5x5:	24		23		19		17		27

With his agent negating his no-trade clause by not submitting the list of teams that he'd refuse, Cirillo will almost certainly be dealt in the very near future. His objective value will drop outside of Coors, but if he does wind up in Seattle, the rise in R/RBI will compensate for any other category losses. While his power has dropped for the past couple years, he's added more speed to his game and turned into a decently valuable threat across the board. The public perception of anyone leaving Coors might enable you to grab him around $20, and he should certainly earn that whether you draft him or another owner does.

6.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Scott Rolen		554	160	.289	25	107	16	95	3B-151
PHI Phillies		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	24		23		18		18		24
2001 Age: 26	5x5:	24		23		19		17		23

As much as I'd love to see him wind up on the Cubs, the Phillies should probably just keep Rolen and hope the goodwill of another playoff run might sell him on remaining a Phillie. His numbers should probably improve slightly almost anywhere in 2002 for his age-27 season, and I might go all the way $30 if he winds up in a deep lineup or the Phillies find a #2 hitter.

7.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Dmitri Young		540	163	.302	21	69	8	68	3B-36, 1B-38, OF-87
CIN Reds		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:S    T:R	4x4:	21		20		16		16		21
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	20		19		15		15		19

Apparently we have a run on third basemen about to be traded. Dmitri Young gives any team a wealth of flexibility through his competence at four positions, and his value would go up even more if he could start driving the ball to the fence more consistently. We owned him on several teams in 2001 and while pleased with his performance, we still expect more. He has the skill to earn several more dollars, and especially with 3B-eligibility, you'll want to own him when he finally has that career year.

8.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Mike Lowell		551	156	.283	18	100	1	65	3B-144
FLO Marlins		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	14		14		11		11		16
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	14		14		11		11		15

Lowell's probably staying put in Florida, although he hasn't developed as much as many of us had hoped. He's playing very consistently without hitting too many homers, and in consideration of the rest of his skill, bid him to how many homers you expect him to hit, up to a max of $25. His stat lines should improve with extra power unless he completely opens up his swing, but I think its more likely he'll continue to be a decent although not top third sacker for a few more years.

9.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Aaron Boone		381	112	.294	14	62	6	54	3B-103
CIN Reds		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	14		14		11		11		11
2001 Age: 28	5x5:	13		13		10		10		13

Nepotism can be fun. Boone has less upside than Dmitri Young or Sean Casey, but he'll probably hang around Cincy for a few more years then either of them while he plays for his dad. I like his roto potential as he could pick up another hundred or two at-bats, providing a very solid boost to his stats across the board.

10.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Adrian Beltre		475	126	.265	13	60	13	59	3B-124
LA Dodgers		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	11		11		8		8		22
2001 Age: 22	5x5:	11		11		9		9		12

Let this be a lesson to all who let their appendix burst while not in the U.S. Beltre didn't really show much improvement in the second half, but should still be poised to double his roto value as he gains maturity and experience. I keep thinking that the Dodgers would be a good fit for a Rolen trade, but Beltre has four more years of maturity to reach Rolen's current age. Given that time, he could definitely mature into a superior player in almost every phase of the game, and he'll even stay relatively cheap for the next few seasons until free agency. If LA needs to win this year, they should consider working out a deal; otherwise, I wouldn't trade Beltre straight up for Rolen, forget about adding in a couple live arms.

11.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Craig Paquette		340	96	.282	15	64	3	47	3B-33, 1B-23, OF-59
STL Cardinals		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	10		10		8		8		4
2001 Age: 32	5x5:	10		10		8		8		5

I don't know why he didn't return to St. Louis since I can't expect any other team to either value or play him as much as the Cardinals, but then I think about teams like Baltimore and Kansas City and I know he'll find work. Paquette could easily earn negative money if his BA slips thanks to his awful plate discipline, although his power should be able to keep him in positive values with enough playing time. Stay close to a buck unless you're related to him.

12.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Vinny Castilla		445	120	.270	23	82	1	62	3B-121
HOU Astros		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	10		10		8		8
2001 Age: 33	5x5:	11		11		8		8

Every time you think the Braves know what they're doing with something like the Andruw Jones' contract or a smart promotion like Giles, they turn around and spoil it with Another Dumb Signing. The AMA first recognized Schuerholz's Another Dumb Signing Syndrome (ADSS) after he seemingly over-payed Galaragga without taking into account the change in altitude. Satisfactory outcomes to do not validate irregular actions, and moves like acquiring B.J. Surhoff and Ken Caminiti, along with signing Brian Jordan and Rico Brogna, helped make ADSS a national cause celibré. Thanks to the federal relief provided the Braves, Atlanta only lost around $25M in 2002. Even with the payments due Castilla, he needs to stay in a platoon with someone like Julio Franco at 1B unless AOL/Time Warner doesn't mind losing the couple million in playoff money.

13.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Matt Williams		408	112	.275	16	65	1	58	3B-102
ARI Diamondbacks		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	9		9		7		7		13
2001 Age: 35	5x5:	9		10		7		7		12

The entire Diamondbacks' starting infield is falling apart as they age, and Williams probably won't maintain this level for much longer. His plate discipline is gone, his OBP is headed towards .300, and Arizona needs to find a replacement if his SLG heads below .450, thereby negating any "leadership value" that they believe he brings to their team. He's also been injured often enough where you can't expect him to receive more than 400 at-bats at most. One caveat: if he stays healthy for 550 at-bats, he could earn close to $20, although I have severe doubts as to that possibility.

14.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Joe McEwing		283	80	.283	8	30	8	41	3B-25, OF-75
NY Mets		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	8		9		7		7
2001 Age: 28	5x5:	8		9		6		7

LaRussa joins Spin Doctors:

Been a whole lot easier since Joe Mac left town
Been a whole lot happier without his face around
No one on my bench gonna stomp and shout
No one on my bench gonna go and get thrown out
He's got a popgun but still plays outfield
His lack of power is just completely unreal
Been a whole lot easier since Joe Mac is gone
Little Mac, Little Mac Can't Be Wrong
Little Mac, Little Mac Little Mac Can't Be Wrong
Ain't got no business starting at nothin but ping-pong
Little Mac, Little Mac Little Mac Can't Be Wrong

15.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Tyler Houston		235	68	.289	12	38	0	36	3B-62
MIL Brewers		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:L    T:R	4x4:	7		7		5		5		3
2001 Age: 30	5x5:	6		7		5		6		4

Much of Houston's value to a team disappears with his lost catcher eligibility. His normally low BA requires some decent power to break even, and he got lucky this season, posting an unsustainable BA in limited action thanks to injury. I'd go a buck or two at the most, but only if I really needed the power and could afford the average hit.

16.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Bill Mueller		210	62	.295	6	23	1	38	3B-64
CH Cubs		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:S    T:R	4x4:	5		6		4		4		11
2001 Age: 30	5x5:	5		6		4		5		11

Mueller wasn't having a great season when he busted his kneecap in Busch, but the Cardinals should take some blame for hurting the Cubs' playoff chances because their field wasn't really protecting players. His value remains mostly in BA, and I'd gamble low, especially since he should be a free agent after the season and will likely move elsewhere, exact destination unknown.

17.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Greg Norton		225	60	.267	13	40	1	30	3B-24, OF-26
COL Rockies		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:S    T:R	4x4:	5		5		4		4		1
2001 Age: 28	5x5:	4		5		4		4		1

Norton Utility, version 7.0. Norton provides the flexibility to cover several resources consecutively, improves your system power when replacing a previously running program, optimizes your 24 superior programs by protecting your remaining weakest areas, and secures your inventory against sudden price wars. Cost: a couple hundred thousand dollars per year of contract.

18.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Miguel Cairo		156	46	.295	3	16	2	25	3B-43
CHC / STL		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	4		4		3		3
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	3		5		3		4

Diary of a bad GM:
July 20, 2000: Fire the previous GM and reclaim the GM job to protect the family legacy. Top minor league prospects include Ruben Quevedo and Eric Hinske. Primary lefty reliever Felix Heredia is being used as a one-out guy despite a negligible platoon difference and a history of pitching well for a few innings at a time.
December 17, 2000: Draft Scott Chiasson, an A-ball reliever, with the first overall pick of the Rule V Draft instead of someone obviously ready to help a major league team, like Jermaine Clark. Also ignore the obvious fact that young hard-throwing relievers are what allow the minor leagues to exist.
March 27, 2001: Decide that Chiasson, despite good stuff, maturity on the mound, decent spring numbers, and a previous history of starting, shouldn't make the roster as the 11th/12th pitcher and mop-up man.
March 28, 2001: Trade Eric Hinske, on the cusp of emerging as the best third basemen on your team in twenty years, for the rights to send Chiasson to the minors and Miguel Cairo, a lesser infielder in every area, aside from the occasional possibility of playing the middle infield.
May 13, 2001: Starting 3B Bill Mueller fractures his kneecap, heading to the DL for a couple months.
May 14, 2001: Instead of replacing him with the now-traded Hinske, a left-handed power threat, call-up Cairo, a right-handed out threat.
July 30, 2001: Trade Ruben Quevedo, the most major-league ready starter in the entire system, with minor league OF Peter Zoccolillo for Roberto Miniel, who has Quevedo's upside from 1999, and David Weathers, another right-handed reliever for the best bullpen in the league. This deal ignores Tavarez' move to the pen, Zambrano's development in AAA, great potential of Courtney Duncan and Mike Fyhrie, and of course, Chiasson's minor league numbers. It would have been further unnecessary if Chiasson had spent the year in the majors developing both his confidence and that of his managers.
August 3, 2001: Kerry Wood feels pain during a 115-pitch start in LA; he heads to the DL for a month.
August 10, 2001: Needing a starter with Wood injured and Quevedo traded, not only do you purchase Joe Borowski from AAA, but you recall a third left-handed reliever. Forced to open up two spots on the both the 25 and 40-man rosters, you waive your platoon center fielder and starting third basemen. Both are claimed when they would have been worth decent prospects 11 days earlier, leaving you short an infielder and further accelerating the previously over-promoted Corey Patterson.
August 11, 2001: Instead of trying something creative and allowing Heredia to start, thereby instantly doubling his trade value if he even pitches well for four or five innings, you let your manager start Borowski, a minor league free agent passing through AAA Iowa. He blows up in the 2nd inning. You recall Zambrano the next time around the rotation, and he can't make it through the 5th. Finally you get around to Juan Cruz, call him up, and begin slagging his arm at a very young age.

Moral of this year's diary: Let young pitchers develop in low pressure situations and trust your own players and prospects more than retreads from other organizations. This series of moves directly cost the Cubs at least two games for the sole purpose of adding a 23-year old, A-ball starter to one of the deeper farm systems in baseball. Sorry if I digress, but Cairo was symptomatic of some real Cub stupidity this year, and the Cardinals are going to make us look even worse by keeping him around for another year with Paquette's departure.

19.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Ron Coomer		349	91	.261	8	53	0	25	3B-76, 1B-36
CH Cubs		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	3		4		3		3		8
2001 Age: 34	5x5:	3		4		2		3		5

I keep wavering on whether or not the Cubs should re-sign him, but there's really no good reason to keep him around. Kevin Orie's returned to the fold as a minor league free agent, and his AAA MLEs were superior to Coomer's numbers in almost every category. If Ron wants to stay in his hometown so badly, he should go beg for a job on the south side. The Cubs have too much talent to keep him around, and now that I've written this, I expect he'll re-sign by the end of the day.

20.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Luis Lopez		222	60	.270	4	18	0	22	3B-46
MIL Brewers		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:S    T:R	4x4:	2		2		1		2
2001 Age: 30	5x5:	1		3		1		2

Not to be confused with 3B Luis Lopez of Toronto, Luis Manuel Lopez is a utility infielder frequently found bouncing between organizations. He has less power and plate discipline than Luis Lopez, so Luis Lopez is probably only worth having on your roster if Mark Loretta has been traded and you expect Luis will platoon at 3B.

21.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Robin Ventura		456	108	.237	21	61	2	70	3B-139
NY Mets		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:L    T:R	4x4:	1		2		1		2		17
2001 Age: 33	5x5:	3		5		3		4		17

Dick Grayson abandoned Bruce as Nightwing, the Joker killed Jason Todd, and Tim Drake does a worse job of managing his secret identity than almost anyone in the DC universe. An accident in Arkham left Ventura, Robin IV, unable to maintain his previous level of activity. Now returning to Gotham from across the river, Robin has another chance to fight for truth, justice, and the American way, all the while making his $8.25 million like a good superhero third basemen. Bank on him earning double digits before he's shoved aside for that damn Muppet in AAA.

22.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Russ Davis		167	43	.257	7	17	1	16	3B-46
SF Giants		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	1		2		1		2		5
2001 Age: 31	5x5:	1		2		1		2		6

I assume that Davis is still dealing with whatever personal issues prompted his release, since I'm not sure why he hasn't found gainful employment since his release from San Francisco. He's got some pop and could definitely help certain teams in a limited role, but don't consider bidding on him until you know if and where he's playing, as well as what role he'll fill.

Early conclusions: despite public proclamations by some columnists of the dearth of third basemen in baseball today, over half the NL teams own either a developing 3B or one in his prime. Bidding one of the relatively young guys, even someone in the middle of his peak years like Aaron Boone, could pay significant dividends if their statistics appear to trend positively.

We'll review National Leaguers without Positive Draft Value tomorrow.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Let's go to some truly effective medicine, along the lines of:
"Doc, it hurts when I do this."
"Well then don't do that."

Similarly, don't see the movie Summer Catch. While it portrays the Cape Cod League positively to some extent, the myriad subplots and worthless acting distract from a possibly interesting baseball story. On a positive note, they mock the Phillies' scouting abilities, although I could have done that without several million dollars of Hollywood money. So if you know anyone that wants to pay a couple hundred thousand to hear someone criticize Philadelphia scouting, please e-mail me at the below address.