Outfielders
The outfield is incredibly deep in the National League, as evidenced by LABR owners filling their OF spots with 21 players going for at least $20. By comparison, this is 50 percent more than what we saw in the American League, and doesn’t even include infield-eligible Trea Turner, Kris Bryant and Jose Peraza. All three Pirates outfielders went for at least $25! There’s no Mike Trout or Mookie Betts in this group, but the memories of 2015’s MVP season catapulted Bryce Harper to a $35 winning bid.
Ryan Braun ($31) and Charlie Blackmon ($30) followed Harper. Three teams left the draft with 60 percent of their outfield making $20 or more. Expect to pay full value at the top for outfielders in your NL auctions this season. Think you can get Harper, Andrew McCutchen ($25), Kyle Schwarber ($21) or David Peralta ($17) on the cheap following disappointing or injury-plagued seasons? Not if LABR is any indication.
If you want to get value, you’ll have to find it at the lower end. If there’s a clear winner in the competition for Cubs center fielder, either Albert Almora, Jr. ($2) or Jon Jay ($1) could provide sneaky value. One of the most intriguing buys was Angel Pagan for $1. Pagan remains a free agent, but he’ll be showcasing what he’s got left in the tank for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Pagan can still hit for average and steal some bases, and he even set a career high with 12 home runs in 2016. If he lands in the right situation he can certainly turn a tidy profit.