Best Franchise Players

[skyking162]

Assume every player is a free agent and cost is not an issue -- players in the AL, NL, minors, Japan, and your neighborhood Little League are all fair game. What's your top 15 list of players to build your franchise around? Obvious factors to consider are current value, future potential, and expected length of career. Include any explanations as you feel appropriate, especially when you feel your rankings differ significantly from "common wisdom".

[RuthMayBond]

I'm probably gonna start with Pujols, JSantana, Miguel Cabrera, Cano, BWebb, Dontrelle, Crawford, Morneau, Harden, Peavy, CZambrano, and maybe Blalock or Teixeira. Those pups should be around a while

[Sockeye]

Albert Pujols
Miguel Cabrera
Mark Teixeira
David Wright
Adam Dunn
Justin Morneau
Ryan Howard
Jeff Francouer
Carl Crawford
Jose Reyes
Jake Peavy
Justin Verlander
Johan Santana
Francisco Liriano
Felix Hernandez

[Astro]

Albert Pujols
Miguel Cabrera
Mark Teixeira
David Wright
Adam Dunn
Justin Morneau
Ryan Howard
Jeff Francouer
Carl Crawford
Jose Reyes
Jake Peavy
Justin Verlander
Johan Santana
Francisco Liriano
Felix Hernandez

Don't know about you, but I wouldnt want to build my franchise around him, Dunn maybe

[candy curveball cummings]

Albert Pujols
Johan Santana
Miguel Cabrera
Roy Oswalt
Justin Morneau
Robinson Cano
Mark Teixeira
Roy Halladay
Jake Peavy
David Wright
Joe Mauer
Carl Crawford
Ryan Howard
Jason Bay
Justin Verlander

[Jose Reyes]

Carlos Beltran
Alex Rodriguez
Albert Pujols
Johan Santana
Jose Reyes
Ryan Howard
Joe Mauer
Roy Halladay
David Wright
Felix Hernandez
Derek Jeter
Andruw Jones
Alfonso Soriano
Derek Lee
Carl Crawford

I'm surprised I'm the only one who had Beltran anywhere on his list, especially since he's the first guy I'd take. Same thing with A-Rod.

[538280]

Jeff Francouer


How could you include this guy and NOT Joe Mauer? :confused:

If I were building a team now, the first two guys I'd take would be Pujols and Mauer. Francouer may very well not be in the top 100.

[CanadianKid]

Albert Pujols
Johan Santana
Joe Mauer
Miguel Cabrera
Ryan Howard
David Wright
Justin Morneau
Roy Halladay
Jose Reyes
Fransisco Liriano
Jason Bay
Carl Crawford
Justin Verlander
Felix Hernandez
Robinson Cano

[STLCards2]

1. Pujols
2. Santana
3. Mauer
4. Cabrera
5. Wright
6. Liriano
7. Howard...everybody else

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

25 Man Roster:

C: Joe Mauer
1B: Albert Pujos
2B: Dan Uggla
SS: Jose Reyes
3B: David Wright
LF: Delmon Young
CF: Carl Crawford
RF: Matt Holliday

BN: Grady Sizemore
BN: Vernon Wells
BN: Freddy Sanchez
BN: Felipe Lopez
BN: Adam Lind (Will be good in a few years)

SP: Johan Santana
SP: Roy Halladay
SP: Brandon Webb
SP: Cole Hamels
SP: John Maine (I see a breakout year next year)

RP: Saloman Torres
RP: Dennys Reyes
RP: Cla Meredith
RP: Brandon League
RP: Justin Duchscherer
SU: Joel Zumaya
CL: Fransisco Rodriguez

I would want to build my team with speedy players. There are better guys I could have put, but they were either:

-Old
-Expensive
-Slow

[Mattingly]

Lineup:

1B--Albert Pujols
2B--Robinson Cano
SS--Alex Rodriguez (he'll move because I say he does)
3B--David Wright
C--Joe Mauer
LF--Melky Cabrera
CF--Grady Sizemore
RF--Vladimir Guerrero

Bench:

Chone Figgins, OF
Ichiro Suzuki, OF
Johnny Damon, OF
David Ortiz, DH/PH
Derek Jeter, INF
Miguel Tejada, INF
Jose Reyes, INF

Rotation:

Johan Santana, Ace
Chris Carpenter
Roy Oswalt
Dontrelle Willis
Chien-Ming Wang

Bullpen:

Mariano Rivera, CL
Jonathan Papelbon
Trevor Hoffman
Billy Wagner
Scott Proctor

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

How about a day somewhere around 8 years down the road? :gt

[Mattingly]

How about a day somewhere around 8 years down the road? :gt
Phil Hughes, SP :D

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

:noidea Phil Hughes, SP :D

I don't get it.

[Myankee4life]

:noidea

I don't get it.


#1 pitching prospect in the minors.

[skyking162]

How about a day somewhere around 8 years down the road?

I'd rather win the next seven years than the eighth year. I'd rather win the next seven years than the following five. Not that you really know what anybody's going to do eight or more years from now.

I'd personally focus the next five years almost exclusively.

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

factors to consider are current value, future potential, and expected length of career

My team would be competitive for longer than Matt's. That's what I'm saying. It has longer-term potential, and the expected lengths of careers are longer. Plus, the salary is less (notice the lack of A-Rod, Soriano etc...). We could all build a superstar team for next season, but it's more fun to try and predict 5,6,7 years down the road.

[EvanAparra]

#1 pitching prospect in the minors.
Id think that would be Homer Bailey, but whatever.

[ESPNFan]

Lineup:

1B--Albert Pujols
2B--Robinson Cano
SS--Alex Rodriguez (he'll move because I say he does)
3B--David Wright
C--Joe Mauer
LF--Melky Cabrera
CF--Grady Sizemore
RF--Vladimir Guerrero

Bench:

Chone Figgins, OF
Ichiro Suzuki, OF
Johnny Damon, OF
David Ortiz, DH/PH
Derek Jeter, INF
Miguel Tejada, INF
Jose Reyes, INF

Rotation:

Johan Santana, Ace
Chris Carpenter
Roy Oswalt
Dontrelle Willis
Chien-Ming Wang

Bullpen:

Mariano Rivera, CL
Jonathan Papelbon
Trevor Hoffman
Billy Wagner
Scott Proctor

Hey Matt you better get a back up catcher in there before Mauer's knee's explode;) Josh Bard anyone?

[Mattingly]

ALL:

Anyone interested in a "contest" in which we'd build a team of active players, but only one person can pick a specific player? Therefore, once Pujols or someone else were picked, they'd belong to that person only. Afterwards, we can hash out who's got the better team.
Hey Matt you better get a back up catcher in there before Mauer's knee's explode;) Josh Bard anyone?
I hadn't realized that. What do you do, get daily updates from Baseball Prospectus? Or do you just pay attention to many injury reports?

I may just take Cleveland's Victor Martinez, who's 27. However, I've already got 25 guys, and the opening thread requested only 15 guys. I'm not sure I can bench any of my current infielders, as Tejada, Jeter and Reyes are all very good.

Otherwise, I tried mixing youth, some speed, some vets, but nobody too old. I picked Proctor, since he's good in the pen. Perhaps I should've picked a better longman. Anyway, what do you think of my team so far? :p

[Mattingly]

:noidea

I don't get it.
You said 8 years down the road. I said that Phil Hughes should be a big star (on the Yankees, of course) by then. Were you saying a team of stars on my active team 8 years from now? If so, I may need to go back and use younger players.

[AznInvasion]

25 Man Roster:

C: Joe Mauer
1B: Ryan Howard
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Jose Reyes
3B: David Wright
LF: Matt Holliday
CF: Grady Sizemore
RF: Miguel Cabrera

BN: Carl Crawford
BN: Delmon Young
BN: Hanley Ramirez
BN: Dan Uggla
BN: Justin Morneau

SP: Johan Santana
SP: Roy Halladay
SP: Chris Carpenter
SP: Justin Verlander
SP: Dontrelle Willis

RP: Joel Zumaya
RP: Francisco Rodriguez
RP: Cla Meredith
RP: Bobby Jenks
RP: BJ Ryan
SU: Jonathan Papelbon
CL: Joe Nathan

[EvanAparra]

25 Man Roster:

C: Joe Mauer
1B: Ryan Howard
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Jose Reyes
3B: David Wright
LF: Matt Holliday
CF: Grady Sizemore
RF: Miguel Cabrera

BN: Carl Crawford
BN: Delmon Young
BN: Hanley Ramirez
BN: Dan Uggla
BN: Justin Morneau

SP: Johan Santana
SP: Roy Halladay
SP: Chris Carpenter
SP: Justin Verlander
SP: Dontrelle Willis

RP: Joel Zumaya
RP: Francisco Rodriguez
RP: Cla Meredith
RP: Bobby Jenks
RP: BJ Ryan
SU: Jonathan Papelbon
CL: Joe Nathan

Say hello Miguel Cabrera :waving

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

You said 8 years down the road. I said that Phil Hughes should be a big star (on the Yankees, of course) by then. Were you saying a team of stars on my active team 8 years from now? If so, I may need to go back and use younger players.

Ya, I meant our two current rosters face each other in 8 years with the guys on the team right now. I think I could take you.


ALL:

Anyone interested in a "contest" in which we'd build a team of active players, but only one person can pick a specific player? Therefore, once Pujols or someone else were picked, they'd belong to that person only. Afterwards, we can hash out who's got the better team.



The Current Player Fantasy Draft, in the Fantasy Forum, is exactly what you're describing. Check it out.

[SamtheBravesFan]

Jeff Francouer


Sockeye, I would LOVE to see what your rationale is with Frenchy. :) I wouldn't have picked him because of his slow, looping swing and poor decision-making on when to swing.

[skyking162]

The interesting questions in this discussion are, for me, these two (they are definitely inter-related):

-- How far down the road do you want to try to project performance (for vetermans, for prospects, for whoever)?

-- How do you assess the relative value of a high-risk, high-potential player (usually a young guy), with that of an established solid player, with that of an aging super-star.

There are enough young studs to make the first 10, 15, 25 picks all guys who are great now and will be great down the road. Where things get interesting is when you try to compare, say, a Jason Schmidt and a Matt Garza. Assured performance now? Or potential stardom later?

That fantasy draft taking place is really interesting, because you have to go really deep and make many tough decisions. I'd also tend to think you'd either want to stick with mostly young guys or mostly older guys. Being average every year is not as good as being great for a few years and sucking the others.

[Jose Reyes]

SP: Johan Santana
SP: Roy Halladay
SP: Brandon Webb
SP: Cole Hamels
SP: John Maine (I see a breakout year next year)



John Maine's my dude and all, but would you really take him over Lirano?

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

I don't like the injury factor in Liriano. I see him being another Kerry Wood.

I picked Maine because I didn't want to have a team of sure-shot superstars. That's easy to do. I saw a few games that Maine pitched, and I think that he'll be a great pitcher next year. But I'm equally as likely to be wrong.

[Jose Reyes]

Well I hope you're right :D.

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

What do you think? Maybe the starts that I saw him in were particularly good. You probably see him all the time. What's your opinion?

[Jose Reyes]

I like him a lot and he should be the 4th starter in the playoff rotation this year.

[wu-tang clan]

nick punto