Fantasy Relevance ‘09 is a breakdown of each M.L.B. team that shows the players with fantasy value from each respective team. There are four categories the players will be broken down into and they are as follows: Studs, Role Players, Keepers and Sleepers. Hopefully this will help you in your quest for Fantasy Baseball dominance.

Studs:

Matt Holliday- There is much to be said about Holliday’s home/away splits last season. He was a much better hitter at Coors Field than he was on the road. Now, he will be playing his home games in a ballpark known for destroying hitters. Will this have a major effect on his stats? Yes, it will. He won’t fall off the map or anything but it certainly bumps him out of Round 1 in fantasy drafts. I would say that he is closer to a late 2nd round pick. It seems as though the A’s are going back to their old philosophy and might be returning to the “Swingin’ A’s” style of play by throwing out a lineup each day that will have some thumpers behind Holliday in Jason Giambi, Jack Cust and Eric Chavez. This might help make a case for his BA not waivering but his power numbers will suffer.

Justin Duchscherer- Before the All-Star break last year, Duch was practically unhittable. Then came the hip injury that required a second surgery in as many years. This is becoming a problem for him and his owners. When healthy, he has tremendous stuff but staying healthy is the key here. A move back to the bullpen (eventually down the road) might be the best option but for now, he wants to remain a starter and that is how the Oakland brass feel about it. If he recovers fully from the surgery, which it sounds as if he is, he will be a great source for ERA and WHIP and might even be a viable option for Wins. This team is completely different than last year’s version and should be able to put up a ton more runs.

Role Players:

Jason Giambi- The Great Giambino returns to Oakland where it all began. Though he is a shell of his former self, Giambi is still a major threat to leave the yard no matter what yard it is. He’s only going to hit around .250 if you are lucky but should drive in a lot of runs and hit 30+ HR. He won’t be going anywhere near the early rounds so feel free to take a flier on him in the later rounds. 30+ HR is not easy to come by.

Jack Cust- This guy is the same exact player as Giambi but plays in the OF. Expect a BA around .240 with 30+ HR and 80+ RBI. He will likely have to fend for himself as the last decent hitter in the lineup batting after Eric Chavez.

Eric Chavez- Here is an interesting player. When healthy, he was outstanding, hitting around .280 with 30+HR, 100+ RBI and 100+ Runs. But, who can remember the last time he was healthy? I’ve lost count of how many surgeries he has had over the last three years but one thing is true, if he is healthy someone will reap some serious benefits from drafting him. Personally, I am going to stay as far away from him as possible unless I am taking him in the final rounds as a backup or insurance policy.

Orlando Cabrera- He has decent speed and a decent BA. At this point the A’s must have felt that anything is better than Bobby Crosby. I don’t know if he was worth giving up a 2nd round draft pick but Billy Beane is rarely wrong. He could very well be a nice fit in the lineup. He should step right into the leadoff spot where last year he hit .293 and had a .341 OBP. It will be nice to have a prototypical leadoff hitter in the lineup which should allow Sweeney to move to the #2 hole without a problem.

Keepers:

Ryan Sweeney- Sweeney showed last year that he was the best piece in the Nick Swisher deal that brought Gio Gonzalez, Fautino De Los Santos and himself to the A’s. many considered Sweeney a throw in even though he had been ranked by Baseball America as one of the Whitesox’ top prospects just a few years earlier. Sweeney never really got a consistent chance in the Majors until he got to Oakland. Now, he has the starting CF job locked up and has a chance to be a very solid player. He isn’t going to wow you with huge power numbers but he will hit for a good average, score runs, and have a very good OBP.

Joey Devine- He is the future Closer of this team after the A’s traded away Huston Street. i know he will share the closers role with Brad Ziegler to start the season but I don’t think it will take long for Bob Geren to realize that Devine is the man for the job. With the boost to the offense the A’s received in the offense, they will most certainly be involved in more games in the 9th inning this year. This means that Devine will have plenty of opportunities to get Saves. He has the stuff to take over and should prove to be a solid source of Saves by mid-May.

Sleepers:

Daric Barton- I know, he was awful last year and he is now on the bench or headed to AAA with the Giambi signing but what happens if Giambi gets hurt? Who is going to play 1b? Barton was a can’t miss hitting prospect a few years ago and he is still only 23 years old and should be able to bounce back. Keep an eye on him but don’t bother drafting him unless it is in the deepest of leagues.