Fantasy Baseball : Santana & Bedard: High picks in '08? : Fantasy Dr X: Strike Zone

Written by Lawrence Barreca. Any baseball fan should have seen the recent trades of Johan Santana to the New York Mets and Erik Bedard to the Seattle Mariners. Before these trades, both of these pitchers were in powerful divisions in the American League. They regularly faced teams such as the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Tigers, and White Sox. Now, both have been moved to weaker divisions; however, one remains in the AL while the other has moved to a different ballgame. These are a few reasons why these two ace pitchers should be drafted higher in your fantasy league than ever before:

Erik Bedard

   1. Bedard has moved from a division with the Red Sox and Yankees to a division with the Angels and Athletics. The Athletics lost Nick Swisher this past season, knocking out a good portion of their offense, so they should be a team that Erik dominates on a weekly basis. The Angels received Torii Hunter; however, they also lost a great bat in Orlando Cabrera. Bedard has managed this team before, and I can't see him having a problem managing them again.
   2. The Orioles scored 756 runs last season and their pitchers had an overall ERA of 5.17 (thanks to one of the worst bullpens in the pros). The Mariners scored 794 runs last season and managed an ERA of 4.73. With extra run support and J.J. Putz closing out games, Bedard should have no problem getting wins. The main reason why he only had 13 last year was because of the inability of the bullpen to close out games (Baltimore never really had a closer once Chris Ray went down for the year).
   3. Erik's strikeouts per game was 10.93. If he wouldn't have gone down with a late-season injury, he would have undoubtedly had the most in the pros by years end. He was out for nearly a month and still recorded 221 K's. Strikeouts usually mean big fantasy points, especially when you get around 9 or 10 a start.
   4. With the scariest right-handed hitters in the division being Vladimir Guerrero, Michael Young, and Torii Hunter, Bedard should have a fun year dominating the AL West.
   5. I had Bedard on my fantasy team last season, and he was definitively worth the pick. He is a top pitcher, ranked in the top 7 for sure. I say if he's available late in the second round or early in the third, take him and run. He's a reliable pitcher that will give you a quality start every time. Johan Santana

   1. Now in the National League, Johan will be facing weaker divisions that thrive off of their pitching.
   2. The DH is no longer a factor, now the extra hitter is the opposing pitcher, which is usually an easy out.
   3. With hitters such as Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and Carlos Beltran in the Mets' lineup, he should get double the run support that he ever received in Minnesota.
   4. Johan won 15 games last year, but now with the Mets, you have to believe that he can win at least 18 games. And if your league grants points for a victory (which it should), he can be a major scorer in your rotation.
   5. Shea Stadium receives winds blowing in from right field and the deep power allies have frequently strong breezes, keeping the ball in the ballpark.
   6. Johan Santana was already rated as the number one pitcher in baseball, now he IS the number one pitcher in baseball. Unless you have the number 1 pick and plan on getting Alex Rodriguez, draft Johan high (anywhere from picks 1-5), mainly because big points from week-to-week come from a top starter.
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