Fantasy Baseball: American League LABR Auction Recap

Catchers

Every team must have two catchers, so 24 catchers were drafted. Some simple math tells you that at least nine backup catchers needed to be selected! Furthermore, in order to qualify for a position, a player must have had at least 20 appearances at that position in 2016, so someone like Blake Swihart couldn’t be drafted as a catcher.

Two catchers eclipsed the $20 barrier, with Gary Sanchez leading the way at $23 and Jonathan Lucroy close behind at $21. Only eight catchers went for more than $10, and no owner spent double digits on both catchers. Two teams spent the minimum $1 on both of their catchers. This is an okay place to save money in a draft, but note that you’re putting yourself in a hole by starting off with two players who may only play in a third of their teams’ games.

One of the most intriguing bids was Wilson Ramos for $5. He’s coming off a breakout year, but nobody is quite sure how long he’ll stay on the disabled list to start the year. If he’s able to come back as a designated hitter in May, this will be a bargain. If he’s slow to recover and remains sidelined through much of the summer, this could be a waste of a roster spot. I think $5 could be a great value.

If you’re looking for insight into position battles, consider that Sandy Leon went for $5 while his competition for his role as Boston’s backstop went for a combined $4. Swihart was taken for $3 (though again, not as a catcher) and Christian Vazquez went in the dollar derby.