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There was a time, not so long ago, when shortstop was a glamour position in the majors, but its not quite in that spot right now. Kyle Farmer Jersey . Even the best options comes with some question marks. The Dodgers Hanley Ramirez may be the best option, though hes played fewer than 100 games twice in the past three seasons. Even with durability questions, and the likelihood that he wont match last years .345 batting average, Ramirez offers five-category potential if hes healthy. In the same vein, Colorados Troy Tulowitzki has led all shortstops in home runs (122), RBI (401) and batting average (.304) over the past five seasons, but he comes with injury concerns, having missed 210 games in the past four seasons. A healthy Tulowitzki might be just as dangerous as Ramirez, offering more power but less speed; its just a matter of whether he will play more than 140 games -- something hes done twice in the past six seasons. Injuries have also plagued Torontos Jose Reyes but, when healthy, his average and stolen base numbers are impressive. Trouble for Reyes is that, over the past five years, hes missed 262 games, so it requires a leap of faith to make him your starting shortstop, knowing that hes had such trouble staying healthy. If the top guys are injury risks, they still offer a track record that isnt present with some of the younger options at shortstop. Washingtons Ian Desmond, Milwaukees Jean Segura, Texas Elvis Andrus and Oaklands Jed Lowrie may be the best of that group. Desmond is coming off back-to-back 20-20 (HR-SB) seasons, while hitting .286 and, given his relative health, he might be more appealing than some of the more experienced shortstops. Segura had a terrific season as a first-time starter and, at 24, ought to be on his career ascent, but temper some of the enthusiasm from last year when he hit .325 with an .849 OPS before the All-Star break and .241 with a .583 OPS after the break. He also had 44 steals, and that speed shouldnt go away, but beware the bat (at least a little). Andrus offers no power, but hitting at the top of the Rangers order has helped him scored 432 runs and steal 165 bases, both totals leading shortstops over the past five seasons. Lowrie, who turns 30 in April, was a full-time starter for the first time last season and he had a productive year (15 HR, 75 RBI, .290 AVG, 80 R), but thats a 30-year-old with a limited track record as an everyday player, so he might slide somewhat on draft day. If you want to play for potential, Red Sox rookie Xander Bogaerts would be the most interesting name. He was fine in 50 plate appearances late last season, but hes a premium prospect who had an .862 OPS in four minor-league seasons. Seattles Brad Miller played half of last season in the bigs, showing some power and speed and, after a .925 OPS in three minor-league seasons, Miller comes with expectations that he will provide offence. If youre late to the shortstop game, Asdrubal Cabrera, J.J. Hardy, and Alexei Ramirez arent glamourous options, but they are adequate and the Cubs Starlin Castro could be a value play coming off a terrible season. Castro has led the league in at-bats for three years running, so he can be a major difference-maker, provided he hits better than last years .245 mark. Among other young shortstops to consider, Atlantas Andrelton Simmons showed some pop last year, with 17 homers. San Diegos Everth Cabrera and Houstons Jonathan Villar are both outstanding stolen base threats, though Cabrera is coming off a PED suspension and Villar still has to show that he can hit enough to contribute more than just 40-plus steals. Finally, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is playing in his final season and, as terrific as Jeter has been throughout his career, hes no better than a middle-infield option in most leagues at this point. If he turns back the clock, like he did in 2012 when he hit .316 and scored 99 runs, then Jeter could be more valuable, but its not the most likely outcome for a 40-year-old who missed nearly all of last season due to injury. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Luis Castillo Jersey . - Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has signed with WME-IMG, saying the sports management powerhouse will help maximize the value of my brand. Scott Schebler Jersey .com) - Blake Griffin led five Clippers in double figures with 24 points and the LA Clippers got back on track with a 101-97 win over the Utah Jazz. https://www.cheapredsjerseys.us/1825s-anthony-desclafani-jersey-reds.html .S. Olympic hockey management team have been making what he called "ghost rosters" since August.Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - James Harden had 32 points, including a tying layup late in regulation, and the Houston Rockets scored eight of their 13 points in overtime at the foul line to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 117-111 on Friday night. Josh Smith had 21 points and eight rebounds in his Rockets debut after being signed earlier in the day and Harden added 10 assists. It feels great to play for the Rockets, Smith said. Its a big opportunity for me. I have newfound brothers in this locker room. Hardens layup with 15.5 seconds remaining in regulation tied the score and came after Vince Carter had made two go-ahead 3-pointers for the Grizzlies. Houston took a half-game lead over Memphis in the Southwest Division, handing the Grizzlies their first four-game losing streak in more than a year. Corey Brewer added 13 points for Houston, Trevor Ariza scored 15 with 10 rebounds and Patrick Beverley had 12 points in the win. Marc Gasol scored 29 points to lead Memphis and Beno Udrih had 17 off the bench. Zach Randolph (knee) remained out for the Grizzlies while Tony Allen (eye) returned to score 10 points in 26 minutes. Good game, exciting game, said Grizzlies coach David Joerger. (We) didnt execute defensively well enough. Carters first go-ahead 3 capped a 13-2 run that turned a 10-point Grizzlies deficit with 4 1/2 minutes left into a one-point lead with 1:33 remaining. After Smiths layup at the other end gave Houston the lead back, Carter buried a long 3 from several feet behind the line. But Harden beat Tayshaun Prince on a driving layup to tiee the score with 15. Brandon Phillips Jersey. 5 ticks remaining and Carter lost control of the ball at the other end after stepping on Hardens foot driving through the lane. A replay review determined the ball went out of bounds off Dwight Howard, giving the Grizzlies the ball with 0.6 seconds left. Gasol got a good look off the inbounds pass, but missed off the rim from behind the foul line. Houston then scored the first five points in overtime on Howards foul shots and Arizas 3 and never trailed. The Rockets announced earlier Friday that they signed Smith, who was released by the Detroit Pistons on Monday less than two years into a four-year, $54 million contract. Smith was reunited with Howard, a close friend and former AAU teammate. He checked in for the first time after Howard picked up his second foul just 2:49 into the game and scored four points in the first quarter, including two on a baseline dunk. But Gasol scored 11 points in the quarter and Memphis led 31-24 going into the second. The spread remained seven at halftime, with the Grizzlies leading 57-50 despite Hardens 14 points for Houston. Gasol scored 13 points to keep the Grizzlies on top in the third quarter, when Houston shot 63 percent to pull within 81-79 going into the fourth. Game Notes The Grizzlies hadnt lost four in a row since a five-game slide from Dec. 11-18, 2013 ... Smith averaged 13.1 points for the Pistons this season ... The Rockets remain on the road to play San Antonio on Sunday ... The Grizzlies play in Miami on Saturday. ' ' ' |
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