- Danny Salazar has some fantastic potential but he's also incredibly consistent in his inconsistencies. After allowing seven runs in 3.1 innings yesterday, he "might have cost himself a spot in the rotation." This is certainly bad news for Salazar owners who have already had their drafts but in the end it's still just one spring training start. However, I would still knock Salazar a few spots down on your draft board. I don't think he'll actually leave the rotation because of this but he might be heading down the road of Ricky Nolasco and Javier Vazquez, pitchers who strike guys out without walking many but always seem to have ERAs higher than their peripherals.
- With Melvin Upton out for the first few weeks, Eric Young Jr. "appears to have the edge" as his replacement. If we're going to be honest here, EY Jr. has never actually been good but when he plays, he steals. His every day playing time should be fleeting but he should pick up 5-10 steals in April and if Upton misses more time, that number will grow.
- Kevin Gausman was a popular pick of mine and others for a potential break out this year on the Orioles. So it's a little disheartening to hear the Orioles want to prepare him as a starter and reliever. In only 20 starts last year Gausman was worth a solid 2.1 WAR and while his 4.11 SIERA isn't so pretty, we're talking about a 24 year old pitcher that throws 95 mph and has exhibited solid control across all levels before last year. His stuff would play well in the bullpen of course, but the Orioles should really throw him in the rotation for the season to see what he can do. At worst he's around a league average pitcher, at best he taps into his potential as a former top prospect. I don't think it would surprise anyone to see Gausman break out except maybe his manager, Buck Showalter. Keep Gausman as a sleeper starter pick for your drafts, but the potential for frustrating managerial decisions has increased in his case.
- Popular sleeper pick Yasmany Tomas is now just...sleeping. Manager Chip Hale said Tomas could start the season in the minors, which would certainly hurt his value. Tomas is starting to scare me a little, the Dbacks have a plethora of outfielders and if Tomas can't handle third I'm not sure how he will play exactly. Of course they will give him a shot in the outfield, whether it's in April, May or June, but with their glutton of MLB-caliber outfielders on the roster, will Tomas have a chance to play through a slump? With that said, he's such an unknown he can go gangbusters from day one and have a productive year. Still, I wouldn't draft Tomas in the first half of the draft, in the second half when you should be taking more risks, it's one worth taking.
UPDATE: Shows what I know, Salazar was optioned to AAA. At this point I wouldn't draft Salazar but keep tabs on him if/when he makes his way back to Cleveland.
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