The one thing fantasy baseball owners never counted on was a major injury. Nobody could have predicted that hip surgery would quickly supplant steroid talk when Rodriguez’s name came up in conversation. But fantasy baseball’s most productive player is slated to miss the first month-plus of the season because of his surprise surgery, and the ramifications of this have sent a jolt throughout the fantasy baseball world.
Here are the fantasy baseball storylines to follow now that Rodriguez is injured:
A-Rod’s Plummeting Fantasy Value
Even with the steroid allegations, the flirting with Madonna, the lack of clutch hitting and the media circus surrounding him, Rodriguez was probably still the best player in fantasy baseball entering this season, or at worst in the top 5. Now his hip surgery will keep him from being even the best third baseman.
A-Rod owners in keeper leagues have to wonder whether or not to hold onto him. Is it worth protecting him at the expense of others if he is going to miss the first month or more of the season? And what kind of A-Rod will return? He will supposedly only be at 90 percent because he still requires additional surgery, and without hardly any sprain training he will be rustier than a 10-year old nail.
Rodriguez only had 35 homers and 103 RBI in 2008. That was his worst offensive season since 1997 and was due in large part to the fact that he did not play in 24 games. He looks like he is going to miss at least that many at the start of the season, and with getting days off here and there during the season might only appear in around 120 contests this year. Take into consideration that his hip might affect him and that the lack of spring at-bats might affect him and Rodriguez should be hard-pressed to finish with more than 30 homers and 95 RBI.
No Protection for Mark Teixeira?
Teixeira signed with the Yanks and looked like a lock for 35 home runs and 115 RBI (at least), thanks to the combination of Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch and having the luxury of A-Rod batting either in front of him or behind him. Now Teixeira could be stuck with aging, injury-prone guys like Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui behind him, or journeyman outfielder Xavier Nady, whose 25 dingers and 97 RBI last year were both career-highs.
There is good news for Tex. He still has Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter batting before him (barring any other unforeseen injuries), so he will have ample RBI opportunities regardless. And Teixeira has proven in the past he can still be a fantasy force without being in a stocked lineup. He hit .358 with 13 homers and 43 RBI in 54 games after he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels last season, and that team was not littered with copious amounts of above-average offensive players. Yet there is no question that Teixeira’s numbers would end up being better if Rodriguez was around for a full season.
New Role for Robinson Cano?
New York’s enigmatic second baseman was poised to be a huge power producer last year. Then he took about 10 steps back. He hit a Buddy Biancalana-like .151 during the first month of the campaign, was viewed as lacking hustle by teammates and coaches, and finished with five fewer homers, 25 fewer RBI and a batting average 35 points lower than the previous year.
Cano should move up a spot or two in the Yankees batting order while Rodriguez is recuperating, meaning instead of hitting seventh he should bat sixth (ahead of future Hall of Famer Cody Ransom) and possibly fifth on nights Posada or Matsui rest their ancient bones. That should translate into a few extra runs batted in and runs scored. That of course all depends on whether or not Cano decides that the season starts in April and not in June like he has in the past, though.
