A Mixed Bag of Players in Mock Draft Round 8

Sep 4, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (15) drives in a run with a base hit in the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

After seeing the players drafting in Round 8, I wrote about at least four of them. I’m actually not sure what that means. Anyway, this round of the mock draft was all over the place. There wasn’t much of a trend or run on a certain position. This round saw the owners grab a player for a much-needed spot. I grabbed a player that I have mixed feeling about, but in Round 8, I saw it as a good-value pick. Without further ado, here are the Round 8 picks.

8.71 3B Kyle Seager, Seattle Mariners

Seager has seen an uptick in his power production over the last three seasons. He went from 20 home runs in 2012 to 25 home runs last season. He also hit four triples in 2014. With Robinson Cano and the addition of Nelson Cruz, Seager has a lot of lineup protection. He’s been free of injury as he’s played at least 155 games in the last three seasons. He has quietly moved up the third-baseman rankings.

8.72 C Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers

Just weeks before Spring Training, Lucroy injured his hamstring. Luckily, it wasn’t a major injury and he has resumed baseball activities. The catcher position is fairly thin, which helps Lucroy’s fantasy value. His numbers also help his value. He hit 53 doubles, 13 home runs and 69 RBI with a .301 average in 2014. He’s also getting some starts at first base, so he could join Buster Posey as C/1B eligible. He should be the second catcher drafted.

8.73 SP Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves

It seems like Teheran has been around forever, but he just exceeded his rookie status in 2013. He went 14-8 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.174 WHIP and 170 strikeouts. He took it to another level, lowering his ERA and WHIP while increasing his strikeout total. He is still a young pitcher growing into the ace role with the Braves. He is a top-20 pitcher with top-10 potential.

8.74 1B Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

I wrote about how much I would avoid Votto about a month ago. There’s nothing that I’ve heard to change my opinion. I would be able to sleep at night knowing I don’t have Votto on my team.

8.75 OF Kole Calhoun, Los Angeles Angels

Calhoun was very impressive in the second half of the 2013 season. In 58 games, he hit 8 home runs, 32 RBI with a .282 average. He came back as the everyday right fielder. In 127 games, he hit 17 home runs, 58 RBI with a .272 average. While there is power, Calhoun’s age may become a factor. He is 27, so 20 home runs is likely his ceiling. As a low-end No. 2 or high-end No. 3 OF, Calhoun will be productive as a mid-round draft pick.

8.76 RP Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers

Jansen’s fantasy value took a bit of a hit after the announcement he needed foot surgery. I wrote about the fantasy impact here. He is likely to return in about mid-May. Once he does return, he will take over as the team’s closer. Drafting an injured closer as your No. 1 RP is not the best decision, but you can likely survive the first month with him on your DL. Round 8 or 9 is where you should expect him to go.

8.78 OF Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals

At the ripe age of 35, Holliday is as productive as he was five years ago. He finished with 20 home runs and 90 RBI. However, he did drop below a .290 average for the first time in his career. Holliday has been pretty healthy in the latter part of his career, only one DL stint in three seasons. You should expect some drop in production based on age, but is still worth drafted as a top-20 outfielder in both Roto and head-to-head leagues.

8.79 C Evan Gattis, Houston Astros

Gattis is the final player I wrote about. Check out my 2015 projections for him here. There is a lot of upside with the move to Houston. The team has a young, energized lineup playing in a hitter-friendly park. He should put up career-high numbers in 2015.

8.80 SP Alex Cobb, Tampa Bay Rays

Cobb started the 2014 season on the wrong foot. He dealt with an oblique injury, which took him out for more than a month, and posted a 4.14 ERA. Things changed after the All-Star break. Over his final 14 starts, he went 6-3 with a 1.79 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. With Price out of the rotation, Cobb will likely be the Rays’ ace. He could be hit-or-miss this season. The increase of innings could help his strikeout totals and win potential, but also hurt his ERA and WHIP. He should still finish as a top-30 pitcher.