Looking at AL LABR, 2018 |

It has turned out to be the strangest of weekends at the League of Alternative Baseball Reality (LABR).

Surely, the spring games have been great, and seeing the retinue of Industry pals I have is fantastic, but, sadly, Saturday night we were advised that Steve Moyer had passed away. Steve was a pioneer in our industry, working at STATS, Inc. at its inception, then moving on to Baseball Info Solutions, Moyer played in LABR and Tout Wars and the XFL.

With Peter Kreutzer, Gene McCaffrey, Tom Muscarella, and me, Steve also contributed to the Remnants of Rock music commentary site, where you can read an obituary I wrote that was published yesterday morning.

Before that sad news, we did indeed draft under the aegis of LABR curator Steve Gardner. I will say the auction was tough. Hard fought, with owners protecting resources and price enforcing with the results producing some teams that present the possibility of a dogfight come September.

I did try to really cut down on the amount of money I spent on pitching this time, as usually I get a top starter and pair of closers, something I did not do Saturday night. Rather, my top starter is Sonny Gray ($14) and I took just one true closer in Craig Kimbrel at $25.

You can view the entire draft here. My rationalizations regarding acquisition of said team is as follows.

C-Caleb Joseph ($2): I had my eyes on a $2 Bruce Maxwell, but that was in my imagination only. Maxwell and his ilk went for $7, $5 more than I wanted to pay for his skill set, so rather than spending money on a catcher, I went way cheap or what I could get, figuring to massage the position as the season progresses. Ideally, I just want someone who will not hurt me.
C-Josh Phegley ($1): Nice platoon half if healthy, with pretty good pop, Phegley is fine with me as part of the cheap backstop scenario.
1B-Yonder Alonso ($14): I had my eyes on Joey Gallo for first or third, but Ranger went for $29, a price I again was unwilling to pay. Alsono, who should fit in well in Cleveland, might not repeat last year, but he could indeed earn his modest salary back.
2B-Jonathan Schoop ($23): I had not really thought about pursuing the Orioles keystone man, but the price was reasonable and, well, never let a bargain past. The fairly early purchase helped define how I would assemble my team.
3B-Matt Chapman ($22): $8 more than I projected, but Chapman went after Gallo and was arguably the last hot corner power supply. ESPN’s Tristan Cockcroft told me later he allocated $20 for the young Athletic, making my purchase feel a lot better. Luckily, I had the money. Ideally it pays off.
SS-Alcides Escobar ($1): End game gamble, Escobar doesn’t offer much, but for a buck he has these things going for him. He never gets hurt. He can hit .260. He can steal 10 bases. Ideally that will earn me maybe $3, and that is a profit and that is the name of the game.
MI-Dustin Pedroia ($5): Am I worried if Dped is healthy? A little, but if there is a guy who will play as hard as he can, I am betting that I get at least 85 good games out of the Boston fixture.
CI-Ryon Healy ($14): Good power and consistency ideally mitigate a bit of a scary strikeout-to-walk rate. Qualifies at first and third.
OF-J.D. Martinez ($31): Truthfully, I had pencilled in $43 to obtain the new Sox, so I was happily stunned to walk away with him at a $13 discount!
OF-Khris Davis ($28): My manlove for Khris is well publicized, and I am not ashamed.
OF-Kevin Kiermaier ($20): Some power and speed and ideally a full season of play will give me 20/20 numbers.
OF-Avisail Garcia ($15): No, I don’t think Garcia will repeat last year, but for $14, if he can give me a season with the .283-16-65 projected at the Baseball-Reference, I will be fine. Truth is I think he can do a little better than that.
U-Chad Pinder ($4): Pinder, who played 41 games in the outfield, 22 at short, and 16 at second, also has some considerable pop with 15 homers hit over 309 plate appearances. That combination of position versatility and power will get him 450 at-bats filling in all over, keeping a young and powerful team well rested.
SP-Sonny Gray ($14): My “ace” — in the past Gray was a #2 guy–I wanted power so I gambled the control on a really good team pays off with a solid year. Doesn’t have to be spectacular. 14 wins. 3.20 ERA. 175 innings. 170 strikeouts and I am good.
SP-Jake Faria ($10): Hard to not like either the talent or numbers thus far (5-4, 3.43 over 86.6 innings last year) and he’s on a team good at developing pitchers.
SP-Alex Cobb ($4): If he signs with an AL team. I got a deal: If he signs with an NL team, I only lose $4. I drafted extra hurlers as reserves, though I have no illusions they would be as good.
SP-Daniel Mengden ($2): I love what I think will be “the next big thing on the Oakland mound.” Turned the corner last September with a lights-out month.
SP-Nathan Eovaldi ($1): When he was young, had stuff as electric as I have ever seen. Post surgical, if he has learned to pitch, Eovaldi should be pretty good.
SP-Adalberto Mejia ($1): 44-30, 3.27 with 509 minor league strikeouts over 595 innings and a 1.17 WHIP, plus some big league time under his belt, I am hoping Mejia settles in with this sneaky good team.
SP-Brian Flynn ($1): Injured most of 2017, Flynn has some pretty good stuff and a chance to crack the team rotation. Was good as a reliever, so I’m game in a deep league. If he fails, jettison.
RP-Craig Kimbrel ($25): The one area in pitching I won’t compromise is closer, and I always want at least one good one, so I went all in on the best at that moment in time and space in the AL.
RP Dellin Betances ($6): Innings and whiffs, some wins and maybe even some saves make a good investment.
Res 1-Robbie Grossman: Good on-base and speed numbers, Grossman should get a shot at 300 at-bats.
Res 2-Andrew Cashner: Not the greatest potential substitute should Cobb go to the NL, but early in the season I can take a chance.
Res 3-Ryan Mountcastle: One prospect gamble, Mountcastle can certainly rake and I will bet he gets a chance this year.
Res 4-Paul Blackburn: Kind of like Cashner, but raw rather than living on guile.
Res 5-Buck Farmer: Yet one more pitching gamble. If one of the three pays off, I am happy.
Res 6-Andrew Romine: Always keep a back-up backstop.