Fantasy baseball drafts are on the horizon, so let’s see what prices Red Sox players will cost and what round they are likely to be taken.
If you’re a Boston Red Sox fan who is into fantasy baseball, you may be preparing for your annual draft, wondering: What is Mookie Betts worth in an auction? What round will he be snatched in?
Combining our reading of the available fantasy sources from print magazines and internet experts, we will provide an answer to those questions and more.
MOOKIE BETTS
The highest rated Red Sox player is Betts. He is seen as a safe pick, maybe even a bargain, after a fluke year and he is expected to bounce back with his batting average and generate stats across five categories. He is priced from $34-48 and is ranked among Charlie Blackmon, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge.
Especially in leagues loaded with Red Sox fans, expect him to go in the top ten, Round One.
CHRIS SALE
Although most fantasy managers will pick power and leave pitching for later, Chris Sale may be the exception. While he may not go in the top ten or even round One, he is unlikely to last into Round Three.
Recognizing that he faded a bit toward the end of the season, his ERA was 4.09 and he allowed 11 home runs in 13 starts in the last two months, some experts believe that he will make adjustments in his exercise routine to allow him to be strong all season. Some touts believe he is the best pitcher to pick first and even suggest grabbing him early.
Despite posting the highest OppOPS in five seasons [.651], Sale is still seen as at least one of the top four starters in MLB.
Expect to spend about $38-42 for Sale and don’t wait until the third round.
ANDREW BENINTENDI
Although left-handed pitchers had success against him [.232/.336/.286], he was one of just nine players to record a 20/20 season and most pundits believe he will avoid the Sophomore Sag. Wags also like that he had more walks than strikeouts in the minors. Price range: $24-28.
Although he was a local favorite, most fantasy pundits believe in his batting eye and his stolen base potential. Do not wait until round Five to take Benny.
CRAIG KIMBREL
About round Six many fantasy managers are thinking they need a Saves anchor and, while some may opt for the Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen first, many will select Kimbrel, who led all relievers with a 0.68 and a K/9 16.43 and finished second to Jansen’s ERA 1.43.
Although some will pay up to $42 for Jansen, you can probably buy Kimbrel for half of that price, $18-21. He would represent a bargain before round Seven.
RAFAEL DEVERS
Fantasy managers from the Northeast will be all over Devers, while non-NESN viewers will draft him in late rounds. The national gurus place him with the likes of Jake Lamb and Nick Castellanos; Sox savvy cranks will be ready to pounce on Devers earlier than round Ten.
$9-12, but Sox fans may go to $15, noting that he can hit lefty pitchers and projects to .280, 24/82/74.
The national experts project him for 25-30 home runs, but are leery of the Sophomore Slump with a 20-year-old, so they place him between an upside of a Justin Turner and a downside of a Jake Lamb.
If your league has a lot of Northeast managers, you better plan on snagging Devers in round Eight or Nine.
DAVID PRICE
Around round Eleven, managers will start to pick up a quality starter and that would include David Price. The doubters note his elbow issues but most believe that he will rebound and be a bargain in the draft.
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Noting his limited work, just 11 starts, and 74.2 innings, the experts also like his limited performance: 8.6 K/9 rate and velocity touching 94 and opposing batters hit just .226 against him. He was a lights out as a reliever: 15.1 innings, 19 Ks and a 0.00 ERA.
Price is placed in the company of Jeff Samardzija and Masahiro Tanaka and his narrow range is $9-11, which is considered to be a very low price by most experts, but Red Sox loyalists may be willing to top out $19.
HANLEY RAMREZ
While some worry that his dramatic decline from 2016 is less a result of his nagging injuries and more the aging process, other gurus see a major upside as much as .272 27/83/73. The X-factor is whether the Sox sign J. D. Martinez, which would limit Han-Ram’s at-bats drastically.
He is currently placed betwixt Joe Mauer and Justin Smoak, but, if the injuries and aging both hinder him in 2018, he could be a complete fantasy bust. After the All-Star game, he hit just .219 with a below .700 OPS, yet he has the potential for 30 HRs.
With the DH X-factor, aging and injuries in the mix, there is a wide price range: $1-13 and he might go as early as round Fourteen or as late as round Twenty, depending on the Sox fans’ ratio in your league.
DREW POMERANZ
Most fantasy buffs are very skeptical about Pomeranz. Without saying he was the luckiest starter in MLB, they cite his limited repertoire, fastball/curve, and his high pitch counts and excessive walks. Sure he won 17 games and posted a 3.3 ERA and racked up 181 Ks, but skeptics note his inability to get past the Fifth inning and his 1.35 WHIP, as well as his just average K/BB ratio of 2.05.
The vast gap between Pomeranz’ advocates and doubters causes his price to range from $6-19. He may still be on the board by round 17 and will either be the biggest bargain or bust among Red Sox players.
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Most of the rest of the Sox roster will likely go in round 20 and later and here is a list of the price ranges:
Christian Vasquez $1-7
Mitch Moreland $1-3
Dustin Pedroia $2-10
Xander Bogaerts $9-22
Jackie Bradley $3-14
Rick Porcello $11-13
Eduardo Rodriguez $2-4