#14: M. Cabrera – FLA 3B

#14: M. Cabrera

Cabrera is a slightly less speed (but much higher AVG) version of David Wright. It does not appear that he has become the leader Wright has but I caution you to not buy into the New York media too much. Cabrera can do it all, over his career he has batted in numerous positions because of his versatility and has also played numerous positions. It appears he is at 3B to stay despite the troubles the Marlins have in the OF. Look for this guy to have another monster year and cash in with a long term contract, even if its not with the Marlins.

Here's a little bit more about Cabrera: Him and David Wright are pretty comporable players value wise. Each has their strengths and Cabreras are clearly his average and his slightly more proven power. He has hit 33 HR twice in his career (a 4 year career). He certainly has a ton of upside, especially in such a growing Marlins lineup. If he could get the protection that Wright has he would beat Wright out by quite a bit more.

One reason not to take him: In this position, you may opt to choose Wright to get the Speed that he provides, or you may go in a totally different direction and draft Hafner. Any of these picks are reasonable. Infact, in a two UTIL league, I would suggest drafting Hafner here.

One reason to take him: Upside, Upside, Upside. He is one of the most valuable players in keeper and dynasty leagues. He went second overall in the Official MLB Front Office League.

#15: D. Wright – NYM 3B

#15: D. Wright

Wright is the Mets version of Jeter, he is a hell of a team leader, and he is also a hell of a baseball player. It is amazing to think that at such a young age a player can step up as a leader in the club house and on the field, especially with the veteran talent on the Mets. Wright has a lot to offer you if you decide to draft him, he is wise (and talented) beyond his years.

Here's a little bit more about Wright: His 2005 and 2006 campaigns were very similar but he's only 24 and I think this guy will keep growing. He was a 25 HR/20 SB player last year and I think eventually he will be a 30/25 player...possibly even better! I think next year could be the year. But 20 SB is a little bit more reasonable.

One reason not to take him: Really the only reason I see not to take him is because 3B is so deep or because you would rather opt for Travis Hafner, if you have multiple Util positions. Otherwise, Wright is a solid pick.

One reason to take him: There is not really any chance for regression unless he gets injured so theres certainly not a lot of risk. There is also a ton of upside. He's only 24! I can't stress that enough.

#16: T. Hafner – CLE DH

#16: T. Hafner

It is no coincidence that two Indians appear in the top 25. The Indians have so much young talent and they are going to be good, as I said before. Anyway, Hafner’s numbers are good enough for top 10 considerations, if he didn’t only have DH eligibility. If he can finally put together a complete healthy season, he will be a monster. Next year look for him up with D. Ortiz as the two top DHs in the league will both probably go in the top 15 in every draft.

Here's a little bit more about Travis: Since his entrance into the league, his HR have been significantly on the rise. He has had trouble putting together a full season but if he can he will certainly be a 50 HR player. He has also batted over .300 for the past 3 years. Keep an eye on him for sure because he says he wants to play a game a week at 1B this year so next year he may have 1B eligibility in which case he would be a top 5 pick most likely.

One reason not to take him: No speed and no eligibility. In addition, he has had trouble staying healthy but he still hit 40 HR. If he's healthy watch out!

One Reason to take him: The man is a machine and he may gain 1B eligibility at some point this season! If he does he automatically jumps up the board. If he gets eligibility and stays healthy all season he will be a top 5 pick next year.

#17: G. Sizemore – CLE OF

#17: G. Sizemore

Sizemore is a stud on the rise in a team whose young core of players is going to excel, sooner rather than later. If everyone can stay healthy the Indians are my pick to overtake the Twins and the rest of the Al Central. But that’s not the point, Sizemore is ready to blossom and come next year don’t be surprised to see him in the top 10. The stars may just align for this young man this year.

Here's a little bit more about Grady: Last year was his 3rd year in the league but hes still only 24! His stats were very comprable the past two years except for a fairly big rise in power and strike outs. The link between Power and Strike Outs can be found through out the major leagues and is something I will talk about in my baseball statistics article that will be running later this week. He should continue his rise to the top this year as the Cleveland Team gets better.

One reason not to take him: His pure numbers from last year probably do not warrant this pick, however his potential is unbelievable. He could be a top 10 pick next year or he could be out of the top 30. This will be an important year for his fantasy value. If you are looking for a sure thing, Grady is probably not your guy.

One reason to take him: This guy is going to be a stud, in my opinion, sooner rather than later. He will be a 25/25 player most likely next year and eventually could become a 30/30 player. That kind of pure skill is hard to argue with, grab this high upside guy and you won't regret it, especially in a keeper league.

#18: D. Jeter – NYY SS

#18: D. Jeter

Derek is like the captain of all of baseball. You either love him or you hate him. You either like him or A-Rod…or if you don’t live in New York, both of them. However, you can’t Deny Jeter’s contributions in fantasy baseball. He consistently has a high average to go along with enough HR and SB to keep your fantasy team thriving. The man is Mr. Consistency and he had his career year last year. You can expect a small dip in his numbers but nothing below his career norm which is still quite high.

Here's a little more about Derek: Over his 11 year career, he has hit below .300 only 4 times and only once has he hit below .290 which was during his rookie season. He will consitantly hit between 10-25 HR and steal 20-30 bases. He has played his entire 11 year career with the Yankees, moving from leadoff to batting second when Damon arrived on the scene last year, despite the fact that the numbers make Jeter a better leadoff man.

One reason not to take him: He won't hit you 40 HR or steal you 50 Bases. What he will do is provide a consistant source for you all season and provide a high AVG. He should have about 100 RBI and 120 Runs. Last year was a huge jump in RBI (97 compared to 70 the year before) due to his move to the #2 spot and as long as Jeter stays healthy, he should repeat his RBI and Run numbers.

One reason to take him: Jeter is consistant. That is the best word to describe him. His month by month low in BA was .293 (excluding 1 Regular season game in October). He just doesn't really slump. He is a machine.

#19: H. Ramirez - FLA SS

#19: H. Ramirez

I found a couple great shots of Hanley fielding but I decided to use this one because Hanley is a batter. He batted lead off for the Marlins last year and will again bat lead off this year, however, the teams long term plans include having Hanley batting 3rd or possibly even 4th. You know what that means -- his power potential hasn't even been tapped yet, and he hit 17 HR. He also stole 51 bags and while I think it would be hard to repeat last years numbers. I don't see any reason that 20/40 is out of the question.

Here's a little bit more about Hanley: He came to FLA in the trade that sent Josh Beckett to Boston. Seems like a good deal for FLA up to this point. He was NL Rookie of the Year last year in a very tough rookie class. He is owned in 99.5% of all ESPN leagues, I'm still trying to figure out what world the other .5% are living on. This guy is a beast, for lack of a better term.

One reason not to take him: It would be hard to repeat last years numbers and I wouldn't die of shock if he ended up with a 10 HR, 40 SB stat line, but that is his low end and it is still fairly solid. Basically, it is one of the more risky picks you could make here but I think that it will work out well.

One reason to take him: The NL Rookie of the year should have improving power, as mentioned earlier. I think ultimatly he could turn into a 30 HR/50 SB threat. The man is a machine that shouldn't be tested. He can beat you so many ways.

#20: M. Ramirez - BOS OF

#20: M. Ramirez

Yeah, hes pointing at you. You know why? Because despite all the trouble he causes Boston, everyone still supports him! The latest in the Manny saga is not showing up to Spring Training on time. Reportedly, his mother had surgery or something but it hasn't been proven yet. He was set to attend a car show but backed out after it leaked into the media. But the plain and simple fact is, he produces, and thats enough for me.

Heres a little bit more about Manny: Last year he hit 35 HR and batted .321, all while missing the end of the season due to injury. Since 1998 his lowest HR total was 33, and that came in 2002 when he only played in 120 games. Over those same years hes only batted below .300 twice, and in his career he's only batted below .300 4 times, 2 of which came when he played for CLE and only played in 22 and 91 games respectivly. Basically, Manny is Mr. Consistant. He may throw in the side show, but you know he will always produce. The only thing he won't toss into the ring is SB, but thats not that big a deal.

One reason not to take him: Um...no SB? This guy is a machine. He is 34 but hasn't shown any signs of letting up. Look forward to another great season from Manny if you draft him.

One reason to take him: Manny is Manny, enough said.

Pre-Season Schedule

The time has come once again, its crunch time. That's why, here at MLB Front Office, we are going to be offering even more premium content in the comming weeks. The whole big party will be kicked off this weekend with the release of more content than any one man can handle. This weekend, MLB Front Office will be finishing its release of its top 25 players. Why so fast you ask? Because we understand that your drafts do not happen two days before the season starts, they happen NOW! So in order to provide you with the best content, our top 25 will be released THIS WEEKEND, with no dip in quality either! But thats not all, also being released this weekend will be MLB Front Office's positional rankings! Every position, every player worth drafting, everything you could need! But we won't stop there. Also being released this weekend will be MLB Front Office's top 250 players! Thats right 2-5-0! This will be released along with the ranking of other FBE writers in order to provide YOU with the best rankings on the net. Oh, and we're not even close to done! Sometime this week, I will release part 1 of 2 of my massive article on Statistical Oddities in Baseball. That is a hell of an article! Also this weekend, I will be working on my 1 man mock draft. All 25 rounds of mock draft mayhem, the catch? I will be drafting against only myself! I will also be working on part 2 of my Baseball Stastics article which should be released sometime next week.

Here is a look at what MLB Front Office will be offering up until the start of the Baseball Season:

Feb 26 - Mar 4: Sleeper Week

- All my top sleepers

- players to avoid

- sleeper mania article

Mar 5 - Mar 11: Keeper Week

- Keeper Strategy

- "The Stock Market"

- Favorite Keepers

- Players to drop

- Q & A

Mar 12 - Mar 18: Prospect Week

- Prospect Bios

- Deep Deep Prospects

- Ranking Minor League System

- Top 50 Prospects

Mar 19 - Mar 25: Spring Training Extravaganza

- Key Battles

- Trade Rumors

- Biggest Movers

- HUGE SURPRISE!!!!!!!

Mar 25 - Mar 31: Offseason Wrap-up

- Biggest Fantasy Moves

- Battle Results

- Momentum?!?

- Opening Day Starters

- Opening Day Predictions

- What it all means

- Weak 1 strong/weak plays

- PLAY BALL!!!!!

Now who else besides MLB Front Office is going to bring you all of that and more?!? The Answer: No One! Thats because MLB Front Office is a one of a kind Blog. As always, feel free to email questions, comments, complaints etc. to: stew0610@ameritech and I will respond in a timely fasion.

New Feature

The Writers of Fantasy Baseball Express will be offering a new feature for your viewing pleasure. Coming soon will be a compilation of most of the writers rankings so you can look in one place to see all the rankings! No more looking at all the other blogs to see how they stack up to MLB FRONT OFFICE's rankings. It's all going to be in one place! I will post more on this as it develops a little bit further.

Thanks for your patience while I have limited computer access, the blog will be back to normal starting on tuesday!

Limited Computer Access

I'm sorry for the lack of updates recently. I have been with limited internet access for the weekend. Normal updates will return on tuesday. Meanwhile, please take a look at some of the other Fantasy Baseball Express writers and look forward to my return on tuesday. It was nice to know that people are actually following my blog because I got emails from a couple of people.

In addition, I will be signing up for the FBE Writers league and will be doing analysis on that draft after its completion.

I'll see (or write) to all of you on tuesday! Feel free to email me questions and I will try and get out timely answers.