Positional eligibility can have a huge effect on a player’s value and is something that is always being updated as players constantly qualify for new positions, based on expanded playing time. Luckily for fantasy owners, the positional eligibility a player is granted at the outset of each season can only improve. No player loses eligibility midseason at a particular position if they no longer play there, but they can increase their flexibility if they can reach a certain number of games at a new position. Most leagues either require 10 or 20 games at a new position to qualify for eligibility. I’ll try and keep both in mind, but I’m going to focus on a 10-game requirement for eligibility when discussing my eligibility reports. I don’t have the time or resources to thoroughly examine each player’s eligibility and create a database of the following, but I did find two very good sites for those who do. I’ll post both sites and follow with my observations.
Site #1: Fantasysportscentral.com
Link: http://www.fantasysportscentral.com/baseball/gamesplayedbyposition.asp
Site #2: Drafthelp.com
Link: http://www.drafthelp.com/MLBPlayerPos.php
My Observations:
1. Jeff Cirillo, MIN
Games Played by Position in 2006:
1B: 13 – 2B: 12 – 3B: 42 – SS: 3
Observations: Cirillo revived his fantasy career in 2006, showing good all-around utility value and posting a .319 AVG. The Twins are concerned about their lack of depth going up the middle of the infield and have considered reverting starting third baseman Nick Punto back to an all-around utility role, so he can be the primary back-up at 2B/SS. If this happens, Cirillo could inherit the starting job at 3B, and given his three-position eligibility already, with a good number of at-bats, it would provide some solid fantasy value. The three games at SS aren’t enough to garner eligibility, but if the Twins keep Punto at third base, Cirillo could add SS to his repetoire and have Rich Aurilia-esque value this season.
2. Miguel Cabrera, FL
Games Played by Position in 2006:
3B: 157 – OF: 0
Observations: Cabrera is still a top-10 fantasy offensive option, but he closer to the bottom-half of that top ten after he lost his OF eligibility this offseason. Cabrera was equally split as a LF/OF and 3B in fantasy leagues and wasn’t really considered grouped in at any position. He separated himself from David Wright and Alex Rodriguez with the added flexibility, but now without it, he seems to be ranked in between the two. This isn’t a deterrent from drafting Cabrera, but if you do, you won’t be able to plug in a hot third baseman off the waiver wire into your starting lineup like you were able to do last year.
3. Bill Hall, MIL
Games Played by Position in 2006:
2B: 4 – 3B: 11 - SS: 127 – CF: 7
Observations: Hall is slated to takeover as the starter in CF come Opening Day after posting a perfect fielding percentage in his seven-game stint in 2006. Hall will likely lose his 2B eligibility for good, which is a slight dent to his value, considering how thin the 2B pool is, but fantasy owners will get over it when he picks up his OF eligibility by mid-April. Hall gets to keep his IF eligibility, most notably at third base, for one more season, as he achieved a defined starting spot. The problem is, without his super-utility role, he’ll need to maintain (if not improve) his 35-85-.270 line in ‘07 to have equal value in ‘08, since he’ll likely only be OF eligible.
4. Freddy Sanchez, PIT
Games Played by Position in 2006:
2B: 23 – 3B: 99 – SS: 28
Observations: It’s almost impossible to imagine a player winning the batting title for his team without having a defined position, but that’s just what Sanchez did. It’s safe to say he played over his head a bit in 2006 and that his only contribution is his AVG, but should he get to focus solely on manning one position, his AVG could sustain or improve. Fortunately for those who use Sanchez as their fantasy utility guy, he doesn’t have the bat for 3B, and there is still relative instability with Jack Wilson and Jose Castillo starting up the middle, and Sanchez should maintain his all-around infield flexibility through next season.
5. Josh Willingham, FL
Games Played by Position in 2006:
C: 2 – 1B: 2 – LF: 132
Observations: No player’s value may have taken a bigger hit this offseason due to a loss of eligibility. Willingham, whose 26-74-.277 at age 27, almost had him in the same breath as Joe Mauer and Brian McCann last season, will now be without his coveted catcher eligibility. Those numbers, as solely an outfielder, will likely relegate him to the bench in most leagues, but he could very likely add 1B eligibility, as Mike Jacobs desperately needs a righty platoon partner. Willingham is still a nice piece to most fantasy teams, especially if he can add 1B to his repetoire, but without the catching tag likely to return, he’s a mid-to-late round pick at this point.
6. Mark Teahen, KC
Games Played by Position in 2006:
3B: 109 – OF: 0
Observations: Teahen will start the season best suited as a low-tier starter at third base, but with a shift to left field imminent, he will soon add OF eligibility and improve to a solid starting option in your UT/DH spot. OF may be the deepest of positions, but we saw how Cabrera went from top-5 to top-10 with the loss of OF eligibility, and conversely, adding it could put Teahen on a new plateau. He’ll still be a low-tier starter at third base, but a mid-to-top tier starter as an OF, depending on the size of the league. Buddy Bell has even shown he’s willing to experiment with Teahen in CF, but don’t expect him to add it to his eligibility any time soon.
7. Chad Tracy, AZ
Games Played by Position in 2006:
1B: 6 – 3B: 147
Observations: Tracy lost his RF/OF eligibility in 2006 and in 2007, he’s going to lose his 1B eligibility in all leagues. Tracy, like the aforemention Teahen, is still considered a low-tier starter option at third base, but he’s an unglamorous option who isn’t likely to improve much upon his numbers of 2005. Not that there’s anything wrong with topping out at 27-72-.308, but those numbers are much more valuable when they can be plugged in at either corner position, rather than solely at an already-loaded hot corner. Like Bill Hall, getting a defined role on his team, may severely hurt his fantasy value without improving offensively.
8. Chone Figgins, LAA
Games Played by Position in 2006:
2B: 9 – 3B: 34 – SS: 2 – RF: 6 – CF: 96 – LF: 16
Observations: Maybe because there’s already a severe lack of options at 2B, but Figgins is still 2B eligible this season despite falling one game short of requirements needed and not likely to start at 2B in 2007. With the addition of Garry Matthews, Jr. to man CF, Figgins should still see a similar chunk of time in the OF, but with a more evenly spread. Vlad is expected to DH often, so he’ll likely regain his RF eligibility, as well. Figgins is a player who relies on his SBs and his eligibility and as long as he can maintain 2B eligibility, the rest is just icing on the cake. He doesn’t have the bat for any other position, but even if you have a top-5 2B, he can still be a valuable super-utility guy with his steals and all-around flexibility.
9. Felipe Lopez, WAS
Games Played by Position in 2006:
2B: 0 – SS: 155
Observations: One of the most useful assets of Lopez last season was his red-hot start, his consistent base-stealing abilities, and his ability to man either middle infield position. Once he cooled off, he still had good bench value, or as a starter who could flip-flop positions daily depending on which other middle infielder you felt like starting. Unfortunately, for Lopez, he was dealt to the Nationals, where he entered a bad lineup in a severe hitter’s park and was exposed as a merely average hitter. He can still add steals, but there are plenty of shortstops who can give you decent SB totals with much more offensive upside. Losing 2B eligibility will hurt even the best with this year’s crop, but it really deteriorates Lopez’s value as a flexible steals-only middle infielder, who now loses some luster without the flexible label.
10. Travis Hafner, CLE
Games Played by Position in 2006:
1B: 4
Observations: Hafner right now has no positional eligibility at all and can only be used as your DH, but after four solid outings at first base last season, it does open the door for 1B eligibility potential. Hafner, in 2005, saw seven innings at first, and it appeared as if he’d never see the field again. A boost in 2006 combined with only Ryan Garko and Casey Blake likely to man 1B in 2007, and Hafner could see another boost and perhaps land that coveted 1B eligibility. His power numbers are second only to David Ortiz in the AL (who maintained his 1B eligibility by playing exactly 10 games at first in 2006), and if he could somehow manage to see 10 games at first, Hafner’s value would absolutely skyrocket. He’s already a borderline first-rounder; adding first base to his skill set would likely make him a top 10-12 fantasy option, all things considered.
Posted by James 