Today's Fantasy Rx

National League Catchers with Draft Value from $5 to $0

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.
Pos = Position qualification based on 20 appearances or max. # of games in 2002.
2002 Age = Player's Age as of October 1, 2002.
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 (The price a player earned under a 65/35 hitting/pitching split).
AV = Actual Value (The price a player earned under a 50/50 hitting/pitching split).
Rotohelp = 2002 Rotohelp Predicted Draft Value.
LABR/Tout = 2002 Expert League prices; LABR for 4x4. Tout Wars for 5x5.

Average league worst BA, ERA, and WHIP provided for 2002 leagues courtesy of Rototimes, based on data compiled from TQ Stats.

Players are ranked in order from the highest draft value in a 4x4 league to the lowest. As the majority of fantasy leagues allow you to keep anyone traded to the other league, all players are listed in the league where they began the season.

9.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Brad Ausmus		447	115	.257	6	50	2	57	C
HOU Astros		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	4		3		6		6
2002 Age: 33	5x5:	6		4		7		3

Ausmus wisely exercised his $5.5M mutual option for 2003 since he couldn't have expected anything remotely similar on the open market after averaging about a .650 OPS in his two years in the Field Formerly Known as Enron. A weak BA has left him with only a few bucks of roto value, fueled entirely by his meek quantitative numbers. Somehow, the plate discipline that he developed during his time in Detroit, where he averaged 3.98 #P/PA in 1999 and 2000, a welcome change after two years in Houston of a 3.53, has evaporated back to a 3.52 over the last two seasons. Even more disappointing, Ausmus' G-F rose to 1.66 in 2002 after a career-best 1.06 in 2001. He even posted two atrocious splits, only managing a .245/.305/.329 against right-handers while hitting left-handers at a .307/.390/.455 clip, and though he compiled a .313/.369/.455 line in his cozy home park, he disintegrated to a .213/.285/.273 on the road. We can't expect a rebound at age 33 given his questionable milieu, so avoid Ausmus at anything more than a couple bucks.

10.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Jason LaRue		353	88	.249	12	52	1	42	C
CIN Reds		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	4		3		2		2
2002 Age: 28	5x5:	5		4		3		3

LaRue displayed little improvement this year despite posting his highest OBP above AA. Unfortunately a .324 OBP isn't too impressive, so he'll need to display solid power to compensate for his weak plate discipline. Therefore slipping from a .71 contact rate to a .67 as his G-F bounced to a 1.23 from a career-best .96 mark in 2001 leaves me without much optimism regarding LaRue's immediate upside. Not only has he seemingly plateaued at this level but Corky Miller also should supplant him within the next two years. Only draft LaRue in the endgame when you need power and can afford a BA hit.

11.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Brian Schneider		207	57	.275	5	29	1	21	C
MON Expos		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:L    T:R	4x4:	4		3		0		1
2002 Age: 25	5x5:	3		3		0

Although Schneider didn't overly impress me in his first full season in the majors, a .798 OPS from a catcher is still very good. He posted a .930 OPS after a weak first half, suggesting that he's ready for a regular starting job as soon as Montreal deals Barrett. A .10 walk rate and 1.31 G-F are decent marks, and while I wouldn't expect him to reach double-digit value if given 350 at-bats, he's certainly a solid pick for a few bucks regardless of his role.

12.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Todd Pratt		106	33	.311	3	16	2	14	C
PHI Phillies		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	3		3		-1		1
2002 Age: 35	5x5:	3		2		-1		1

I'm not sure why Pratt suddenly developed into a superb backup with solid all-around offensive stats, and I also can't imagine he'll repeat this performance after turning 36 in February. However only a .74 contact rate suggests his BA is overly inflated, and a .23 walk rate, 4.13 #P/PA, and .91 G-F are excellent marks. Feel free to bid two bucks on Pratt if you need a second catcher as long as you're aware that even if you don't lose money, you also shouldn't see a profit.

13.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Damian Miller		297	74	.249	11	42	0	40	C
ARI Diamondbacks		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	3		3		7		6
2002 Age: 32	5x5:	4		3		7		7

Joining the Cubs likely gives Miller the undisputed starting job he lacked in Arizona since Chicago seems determined to trade Todd Hundley. He earned his first All-Star berth after compiling a .263/.355/.469 in the first half, but a combination of injuries and a prolonged slump left him with only a .205/.293/.329 line in 73 at-bats over the last three months of the year. Although he's a patient hitter, Miller strikes out a lot and posted a poor 1.87 G-F after three years of 1.15 or better, which strongly suggests he'll fail to hit double-digit homers for the first time in five years. He still owns decent overall skills, however I wouldn't bid more than $5 or so on him because of his current skill trends and general injury worries.

14.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Gary Bennett		291	77	.265	4	26	1	26	C
COL Rockies		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	3		2		5		1
2002 Age: 30	5x5:	3		2		5

The acquisition of Charles Johnson returns Bennett to the competition for a backup job, and considering his rather dreadful .265/.314/.354 performance in a full year with the Rockies, he'll be luck to see 100 at-bats in 2003. He displayed neither patience nor power potential, so while all his recent years in the minors look very impressive, he hasn't displayed much hitting talent in the majors. I see no reason to treat him as anything more than roster filler at this time.

15.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Javy Lopez		347	81	.233	11	52	0	31	C
ATL Braves		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	1		1		6		16
2002 Age: 31	5x5:	2		2		6		15

Like many of you we were burned rather badly by Lopez this year as he posted the worst BA, OBP, and SLG of his career. Although he performed decently against left-handers, I don't see anything here that indicates he still merits a starting job. He'll return to the Braves for one more year since Atlanta stupidly gave him a $7M player option, however there's no evidence he'll rebound to his old form at any point. You're gambling if you pay more than a few bucks for him in 2003.

16.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Chad Moeller		105	30	.286	2	16	0	10	C
ARI Diamondbacks		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	1		1		-3
2002 Age: 27	5x5:	1		1		-2

Arizona's decision to employ Moeller and Rod Barajas as their primary catchers is surprising since neither player has demonstrated overt offensive consistency. Yet Moeller posted a .385 OBP and .467 SLG this year in 105 at-bats, and his .318/.401/.517 performance in 211 at-bats at AAA Tucson(PCL) suggest he might develop into a decent starter. His walk rate has markedly increased since joining the Diamondbacks even though he isn't seeing more pitches. Additionally, his G-F shot down to 1.21 after he averaged a 2.24 the previous two seasons. I'm not willing to risk more than a couple bucks given his questionable track record, but you might find a nice sleeper here if you believe he can maintain his performance as his playing time more than doubles.

17.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Yorvit Torrealba		136	38	.279	2	14	0	17	C
SF Giants		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	1		1		-1
2002 Age: 24	5x5:	1		1		-1

Torrealba continued the progress he'd made in the minors the previous two seasons by posting a solid .279/.355/.397 as Benito Santiago's backup. A .10 walk rate indicates a decent foundation for him to develop into a quality starter even though he didn't display any power potential. He won't hurt you for a buck or two, and you could wind up with a decent keeper since he's likely to see his playing time increase as the Giants' probable future starter as soon as 2004.

18.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Robert Machado		211	55	.261	3	22	0	19	C
CHC/MIL		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	1		1		-3
2002 Age: 29	5x5:	1		1		-3

Machado may own decent power for a catcher, but this career-high BA is still largely empty due to his poor plate discipline. He's barely a decent backup and even a post-30 power spike typical for catchers won't give him much value. Milwaukee needs to find an alternative to Machado unless they want to continue receiving essentially zero offense from catcher, and his BA downside limits his roto value to roster filler.

19.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Vance Wilson		163	40	.245	5	26	0	19	C
NY Mets		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	1		1		-2
2002 Age: 29	5x5:	1		1		-2

While Wilson's decent power makes him an acceptable Dollar Days selection and useful as an injury replacement when Piazza's hurting, his poor plate discipline means he'll never have much value in a larger role. Jason Phillips should push him out of New York within the next year, and I don't expect Wilson to exceed 150 at-bats in many more seasons.

20.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Tom Lampkin		281	61	.217	10	37	4	32	C
SD Padres		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:L    T:R	4x4:	0		1		-2		1
2002 Age: 38	5x5:	1		1		-2		R

Only Lampkin's quantitative contributions allowed him to negate the effects of a .217 BA, but we can't expect him to find the necessary playing time to repeat these numbers even if he can sustain a career-high homer total after turning 39 in March. While he might not hurt a team that wants a backup with good patience and power potential, his eroding contact rate makes him too risky for most roto teams. Don't even use him as roster filler unless you're desperate for power.

21.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Chad Kreuter		95	25	.263	2	12	1	8	C
LA Dodgers		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:S    T:R	4x4:	0		0		-1
2002 Age: 38	5x5:	0		0		0

The development of David Ross and Koyie Hill make Kreuter expendable, so expect him to land elsewhere on a minor league deal. Though no longer even decently durable, Kreuter remains a patient hitter with surprising power potential. Unfortunately his contact rate has eroded from .77 to .67 over the past three seasons, indicating he's likely to post a BA closer to his .215 from 2001 than this year's respectable mark. Even leaving Los Angeles won't give him a huge boost, so only employ him as roster filler if he lands in hitter-friendly stadium.

22.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Mike Matheny		315	77	.244	3	35	1	31	C
STL Cardinals		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	0		0		-2		R
2002 Age: 32	5x5:	1		1		-1		2

Matheny finally reached a .10 walk rate in 2002 despite dropping to a four-year low of 3.39 #P/PA. His contact rate also continue rising to a solid .84 mark, so I can't completely recommend against using him as roster filler even with his terrible track record. Of course he also possesses no power and therefore essentially no roto upside, making him no more than a passable choice when you can't find a better alternative.

23.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Ramon Castro		101	24	.238	6	18	0	11	C
FLO Marlins		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	0		0		4		R
2002 Age: 26	5x5:	0		0		3		1

Moving Charles Johnson gives Florida an intriguing choice between the consistency of Redmond or the more impressive upside of Casto; since they've shown no inclination towards giving Castro a fair shot at winning the job, I suspect they'll wind up splitting at-bats. Yet Castro toasted PCL pitching in 2001 by compiling a .336/.393/.628 line, and his .238/.322/.455 performance in 101 at-bats for Florida this season suggests he'd emerge as a top offensive catcher if given the opportunity. A 3.90 #P/PA and .74 G-F demonstrates his excellent patience and power potential, but unfortunately the Marlins are not the organization to look past his occasional BA difficulties to recognize his impressive overall contribution. Definitely target him in any draft where available since $5 looks like Castro's floor and he could easily post double-digit value.

24.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Corky Miller		114	29	.254	3	15	0	9	C
CIN Reds		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	0		0
2002 Age: 26	5x5:	0		0				1

LaRue's likely successor may spend one more year in AAA, and then he'll have to compete with Dane Sardinha, who runs out of minor league options after 2003. Miller's another relatively unheralded catcher similar to Brian Schneider and Ramon Castro in that he only needs a starting job to produce in the majors. He scalded upper level minor league pitching in 2001, and his .231/.340/.403 in 134 AAA at-bats this year probably isn't as good an indicator of his potential than the .254/.328/.421 line he posted in 114 at-bat in Cincinnati. A .97 G-F demonstrates decent power potential, so while I'm concerned that his solid minor league plate discipline hasn't manifested itself in the majors, he still should reach double-digit value within the next few years. View Miller as an excellent endgame pick with the potential to emerge as a quality keeper for 2004.

25.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Jason Phillips		19	7	.368	1	3	0	4	C
NY Mets		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	0		0
2002 Age: 26	5x5:	-1		0

Please take a look at our recent Fantasy Review of New York (N) Prospects for my comments on Phillips.

26.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Todd Hundley		266	56	.211	16	35	0	32	C
CH Cubs		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:S    T:R	4x4:	0		0		4		7
2002 Age: 33	5x5:	0		1		4		6

I acknowledge my bias in Hundley's favor as he played high school and college ball in my hometown, we've seen several articles discussing various off-field problems over the past two years that curtailed his effectiveness, and we remember his dad's contribution to Cubs' history. While he's a fragile player in many ways at this stage of his career, he also could rebound in a better environment, and since the Cubs have determined he doesn't belong in Chicago, hopefully they'll move him somewhere like Texas that needs a quality offensive catcher. Hundley averaged a .11 walk rate, .84 G-F, and 4.18 #P/PA over the past two years, indicating only a .67 contact rate limited his production. Catchers with this level of latent power remain rare in roto, so feel free to gamble up to several bucks here if you don't mind the BA risk.

27.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Kelly Stinnett		93	21	.226	3	13	2	10	C
CIN Reds		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	0		0		2		1
2002 Age: 32	5x5:	-1		0		2		1

Stinnett's skills have markedly improved since he first impressed roto owners during Arizona's debut season, so I don't begrudge Cincinnati's decision to sign him through 2003 as a backup. Unfortunately they've failed to open a spot for Corky Miller by trading Jason LaRue, and Stinnett's lacking performance against right-handers limits his value. He could reach a value in the high single digits under the right circumstances, making him a better gamble than most catchers over 30, however I don't see double-digit upside here since he's never even reached 300 at-bats in a season.

28.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Bobby Estalella		112	23	.205	8	25	0	17	C
COL Rockies		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	0		0
2002 Age: 28	5x5:	0		0

Estalella will struggle to hold his backup job in Colorado as rotator cuff surgery this season leaves him questionable for Spring Training. I don't see much improvement in his skills, though he continues to display solid power potential and plate patience while posting the weak .71 contact rate we expect from him. He'd probably match the performance of new Rockies' starter Charles Johnson if given the opportunity, but Johnson's contract obviously limits Estalella's playing time. Bidding more than a couple bucks on him seems an unwise gamble at this time even though he retains the intriguing upside of nearly all Colorado hitters.

29.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Rod Barajas		154	36	.234	3	23	1	12	C
ARI Diamondbacks		DV		AV		Rotohelp		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	0		0		-2		1
2002 Age: 27	5x5:	0		0		-2

He'll team with Chad Moeller to form Arizona's catching duo, but consistently weak plate discipline limit his upside. Barajas' main offensive feature is the power potential presented by a .56 G-F. Unfortunately his weak BA will negate his quantitative contributions in most years. He could reach a value in the high single-digits with a little luck, however I wouldn't gamble more than a buck or two given the uncertain distribution of playing time and Moeller's generally better offensive skills.

Today's Fantasy Rx: The strength of spending less than $5 on catchers is that you can generally find one veteran for $2, such as Dan Wilson or Benito Santiago this year, and complement him with a backup with solid skills on another team at a similar price, like A.J. Hinch or Mike Redmond. Early promising 2003 targets for this strategy include American Leaguers Ben Davis and Doug Mirabelli, along with Ramon Castro, Corky Miller, Mike Rivera, Dave Ross, Brian Schneider, Javier Valentin, and Gregg Zaun in the NL.