I'm not too certain I'd have Bourn ranked ahead of Ichiro and here's why - I think that last year (age and all) was the anomaly for Suzuki. Hear me out - Bourn (who's value is propelled solely by SB) is a career .271 hitter, while Ichiro's "disastrous" 2012 yielded a .272 mark and 40 SB. They will both score the same amount of runs. Even if Bourn steals 20 bags more than Suzuki, I'd rather the extra 6-7 home runs, 30-40 rbi, and the temptation of Ichiro getting back to a .310 hitter. Age a question? Not many players have the discipline and training to maintain AT LEAST 639 AB's over the past 11 seasons. Give me Ichiro for $15, and I'll pass on Bourn, even at $12; then take a gamble later on Revere, Bourgeois, De Aza or Pagan for under $8.This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

Ryan Howard was recently cleared to resume baseball activities without a walking boot - a good sign for his fantasy managers. The Big Piece recently went for $12 in my auction ROTO league, and in the 7th round in my H2H snake-draft league.  www.fantasypros.com has him at $6 and round 10.  I think he will produce somewhere closer to my leagues ratings...  Lets call it $10/8th round. Howard has a career .324 baipb; last season his babip was .303; he was fairly unlucky on non K/HR at bats.  Aside from the fact that he won't play until at least late May,I think he will still outperform Freddie Freeman, the next player in most rankings even with fewer AB's.  Freeman is ranked just ahead of Howard, and I'm not buying it.   You should spend the extra $3-4 on Howard, send him to the DL, and pick up another 1B.  In, fact I strongly looked at rolling with a Howard/Napoli/Freeman setup.  When Big How comes back (after spending 3 months working on his stroke), he should turn his  .253 average into something a little closer to his career .275.  I can see a .265 average, 26-28 HR, 90 RBI.  I seriously doubt they try and run with him this year.  I mean the guy averages 42 HR and 120 RBI a season in his career.  And it's not like he's never missed any time before.  Freeman is going for about $9 and round 10.  If Freeman continues to grow into his potential, he will be on the right path with a .280-80-25-85-5 line.  I am going to roll with the big man, owner of the 4th highest career slugging % among active players.