I always tell people that the main reason I don't do the NFBC 15-team format is that I want to give my posse--Buster, Brian, JP, and Marc--a chance to show what they can do. And, there is truth to that, and well, I get enough forums to show my own stuff.
But, part of the reason is that I find the straight draft format kind of unnerving at times. I mean, there are so many ways to skin a cat in this universe, that just approaching the equation can be a bit daunting.
And, surely I don't want to analyze any of their teams, partially because they play well, partially because as noted there are a number of ways to skin a cat, and partially, it is all an exercise in futility at this point. I mean, once the season actually begins, it really does not matter any more who got whom: it is a question of who does what.
But, in looking at their teams, Marc and JP both picked in the 13th spot. JP got Alfonso Soriano, while Marc nabbed Brandon Phillips, pretty similar creatures save Soriano has a larger sample. But, essentially each noted their pick and 30/30 in their reasons why they selected the player they did.
And, second, each took BJ Upton, making it look pretty solid across the board.
Selecting one round later, Buster managed to get Pujols, whom everyone seems to have shied from. Which is understandable, but similarly, it is so difficult to let him go by this late when one considers his possibilities.
And, then he took Johan Santana #2, and I would certainly have taken Johan as well at that spot, knowing another pick was in the distant horizon.
Picking sixth, Brian got Jimmy Rollins first and VMart second, the highest pick of a backstop among the group, while Marc took Brian McCann third, pretty close, while both JP and Buster waited.
JP got Jason Varitek in round 13, and then nabbed Kurt Suzuki in round 19. while Buster took Josh Bard in round 22, and Michael Barrett #26.
But, by the ninth round Marc had the catching spot completed with Kenji Jojima, while Brian picked up Mike Napoli in the 20th round, kind of splitting the difference between Marc, who picked to ace players, and JP, who essentially went the $1 backstop route.
So, that jumped out at me, and that made me wonder how they picked closers.
JP took back-to-back closers, with Jonathan Papelbon as his #4 guy, and Joe Nathan his #5 (remember, he picked 13th). Marc, the other #13 picker, took Bobby Jenks in round seven, and Kevin Gregg #14, noting he left last year's fesitivites with zero closers. Marc even took a flier on Jason Motte as a flier for his 30th pick.
Brian scored JJ Putz in round five, and made a self-confessed risk with Eric Gagne in round 12.
But Buster also got Joe Nathan, but in the sixth round: pretty close to JP's selection of the Twins closer, and then went the route of Brian his second pick, taking BJ Ryan with pick #11.
And, like Marc, he took Joey Devine--my crapshoot suggestion--as his #30 pick.
Who has the right formula? Beats me. At this point they all look good. And, like I said, there are lots of ways to skin a cat.
If you want to see their final rosters, and comments, hit the Next Page link below: