With a nod to the thousands of fantasy players who will be attending
auctions or drafts this weekend, here’s a short list of longshot breakout
candidates–"sleepers," if you must–from the AL East.
Calvin Maduro, Orioles — Maduro was an Oriole prospect in
the mid-1990s before being traded to the Phillies in 1996. He floundered in
Philadelphia, possibly as a result of overwork in the Oriole system, before
returning to Rochester in 1999 and having his best season since the trade.
The injury to Scott Erickson opened up a spot for Maduro, who has
pitched effectively this spring and should start the year as the O’s #5
starter. With neither Sidney Ponson nor Jason Johnson
pitching well, Maduro can stake a claim for himself beyond April with a
good month. He is still just 25, looks healthy and has shown good command
in Florida. I think he’ll be the best Aruban in the Oriole rotation this year.
Jorge Posada, Yankees — Posada may be a little old and a
little famous for inclusion on this list, but I think he has every chance
to be the second catcher on American League All-Star team. With Joe
Girardi in Chicago, there are no questions about who the Yankee starter
is, and given the state of the backups (Tom Pagnozzi? Jim Leyritz?),
Posada could be in for a big workload.
This winter, Posada spent some time in winter ball working on hitting from
the left side, a weakness in his game for two years. He’s 28 this year, and
catchers have been known to his their offensive peak a bit later than most
players. His hot spring–seven extra-base hits and 11 walks–is just
another reason to think he’s ready to explode. As a switch-hitting catcher
with plate discipline and power, he’ll be tremendously valuable if he does.
Esteban Yan, Devil Rays — Don’t be fooled by Yan’s so-so
spring numbers: he has pitched very well aside from one horrific start last
week. Yan looks like he is completely recovered from shoulder problems and
ready to return to–and improve on–the form he showed in 1998.
What remains to be seen is his role with Tampa Bay. He’s been starting
throughout the spring, but the Devil Rays have a number of candidates for
the #5 spot, while Yan has been a reliever for most of his major-league
career. His role could depend on the health of Wilson Alvarez,
currently battling shoulder problems of his own. Regardless of how Yan is
used–and I think he’s a safer bet in the bullpen, myself–look for him to
be one of the better pitchers on the Devil Ray staff.
Bryce Florie and John Wasdin, Red Sox — Picking
which Red Sox are going to be sleepers isn’t easy, as it’s hard for players
to gain a roster toehold amidst Dan Duquette’s roster shuffling. On the
other hand, the Sox usually have one or two players come out of nowhere to
have strong seasons, people like Rich Garces and Brian Daubach.
I can’t decide which of these two guys is going to get the better
opportunity to shine. Wasdin is miscast as a middle reliever, an extreme
flyball pitcher with good-to-excellent control. The Red Sox aren’t going to
put him in the rotation, so he’ll have to hope for a trade or a rash of
injuries to assume his best role. As a middle reliever, he could be a good
roto pickup, a candidate to vulture some wins and put up a good ratio.
Florie is the less-talented of the two pitchers, but the better bet for
success in 2000. He is a similar, if inferior, pitcher to Derek
Lowe, and stands to inherit Lowe’s innings. Florie throws hard and gets
groundballs, but has never had a consistent role nor displayed enough
control to be very effective. Joe Kerrigan can help with the second
problem, but it remains to be seen if Jimy Williams helps solve the first.
Florie is a candidate for the back of the Boston rotation, and even if he
starts the year in the bullpen, will probably make some spot starts along
the way.
Left alone in relief, I like Florie’s chance to be a big surprise. If the
Sox continue to jerk him around, it’s a tossup as to whether he or Wasdin
will be the better breakout candidate. Both pitchers have the ability to
explode on the league, though, and I recommend both.
Thank you for reading
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