Shortstops: Old Faces in New Places

Maybe I should just get a job distributing change of address forms at the post office as I always seem to be the Old Faces in New Places guy here.  Not that there’s anything wrong with it. So, like every other position, shortstop has a few guys moving onto to potentially greener pastures and could end up being some decent, low-budget options at fantasy baseball’s thinnest position.  Here’s three that might interest you…

Cross Country Move:  Jason Bartlett

After an incredibly disappointing 2010, the Rays had no problem letting Bartlett go this off season and the one-time raved about shortstop is taking what’s left of his game to the always classy San Diego.  What does this mean for fantasy owners?  Well, if you’re in an AL only league, you get the pleasure of not wasting your hope on a return to his 2009 totals.  You don’t need to be a genius to see that 2009 was the best it will ever get for Bartlett.  His .170 ISO was completely out of whack and his .320/.389/.490 slash line was significantly higher than it had ever been before.  Ever.

Last season was  a nice wake up call for those who bought into the Bartlett hype and don’t be fooled into thinking the change of scenery will do him some good.  Maybe he’ll pick up that disgusting average for those that count it as a category, but expect pretty much the same as you got last year.  Will batting leadoff help the SBs?  Perhaps a little, but you’re also talking about a guy who has spent time on the DL in each of the last 3 seasons with lower leg problems, so the greener the light, the quicker he lands on the DL, I bet.

And the last thing I’ll say in my Bartlett hate-fest here is to be careful about your San Diego ground ball pitchers.  With Bartlett’s injuries, comes a limited range at short.  If he’s losing a little on the defensive side, you could see more balls getting through that infield.  OK, I’m done with this guy.

Moving Back to the Bay:  Miguel Tejada

A long time favorite in beautiful Oakland, Tejada brings his game to the other side of the Bay Bridge and takes over at shortstop for the defending champion Giants this season.  While I don’t see some miraculous resurgence here, I can say that Tejada should be a serviceable fantasy shortstop this year.  Well, better than most of the other “bargain” guys.  He can still pop 15-18 HR in a season, hit somewhere in the low .270’s, and should see some decent RBI opportunities depending on how far down he hits in the lineup.  However, there are plenty of signs that the end is near.  For example, as his FB% increases, his HR/FB% decreases and that’s not a real good sign, is it?  The decreased walk rate?  The increase of pitches swing at outside the zone?  Not to mention his uncanny ability to kill a rally with his numerous double play ground balls lately.  I think you can squeeze maybe another year or two out of him in fantasy, but I wouldn’t be paying anything more than bargain basement prices.

From the Twin Cities to Charm City:  J.J. Hardy

OK, seriously…I’ve been to Baltimore plenty of times and I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why they call it Charm City.  But maybe it’ll have a little more appeal if Hardy can return to the form his fantasy owners enjoyed back in 2007/8.  I’ve actually always liked this guy and owned him in my primary keeper league back then, but was forced to jump ship when ’09 rolled around.  I’ll admit that I still kept him despite the increase in K%, his other numbers looked great including a BB% that jumped two full points, an increased ISO, and a slash line that improved across the board.  Hell, his wOBA jumped almost 20 points and that’s without some crazy BABIP increase.

But between his decreasing LD% and a bad contract negotiation with the Brewers, Hardy had a dismal 2009 in what should have been his 27 year old breakout campaign.  He ended up in the minors and was never the same.  The trade to Minnesota may have been helpful, but the wrist injury pretty much nixed that comeback.  So now he’s with the Orioles, and I’m hoping for a resurgence.  Nothing extravagant, but something to make him a worthwhile bargain in the later rounds.  I think the wrist being fully healed will help and I think hitting down in the order will keep him relaxed and not feeling so much pressure.  It’s a good ballpark for him and while I don’t see a return to the old ways of ’07, if I can get something closer to Bill James’ projections with a little better BA, then that will do me just fine.