Highly Paid Professionals

Lets assume for a second that the front offices of the Baltimore Orioles and of the Tampa By Rays are rational happiness-maximizing individuals. Lets assume that they are reasonably intelligent and are truly trying to lead their ball clubs to the greatest degree of success possible. in other words, lets assume they are competent and that they are not trying to bring their franchises down from the inside.

That's the first thing Baltimore and Tampa have in common. They are both being run by competent people.

The second thing they have in common is that they both play in the talent-laden and very wealthy American League East. We cannot stress enough just how much talent rests in this one division alone.

Third, both teams have a stud prospect who is ranked either Number 1 or Number 2 in most publications' roster of future superstars. For Tampa, its lefty David Price, who in a few late season innings showed enough talent to land a spot on the Rays' postseason roster. In a few postseason appearances, the kid showed both incredible testicular fortitude as well as an above average ability to get great hitters out in big situations. For Baltimore, all eyes are on catching prospect Matt Wieters. The writers of Baseball Prospectus began a steamy "bro-mance" with Wieters in this season's edition of their book. Wieters is expected to hit for average and power in a way rarely, if ever, seen before from a backstop.




Here's the fourth and, for our purposes, the most important similarity. Each team is keeping their prized possession in AAA for the foreseeable future. Baltimore is content to have Gregg Zaun hold down the fort behind the plate at Camden Yards for the time being. Tampa is plugging Jeff Niemann into the 5th starters slot for now.

In so doing, each team is forcing a real doozie of a conundrum upon Fantasy Baseball Owners across this great land. What to do about Price and Wieters. Because they are not on the Disabled List of their respective clubs, and why would they be, they're healthy and thriving in the minors, Price and Wieters are blank stat lines, placeholders for now, on any fantasy roster. I should know. David Price is proudly sitting on my fantasy bench in 2 of my 3 fantasy leagues. Wieters is chillin on rival benches in 2 leagues. But he is a free agent, ripe for the plucking in one of the leagues in which I already own the rights to Price.

So my dilemma: To give a roster spot to Wieters and hope he arrives in Charm City ready to rock sooner rather than later? Or to hope that I am the first to my computer on the day that Wieters gets the fabled phone call to join the parent club? Is the long term impact of having Price and Wieters, two promising by wholly unknown commodities, worth being out two roster spots for an indefinite period of time?

The people in said league probably will read this. Someone may put an end to my suffering by the time i wake up tomorrow by nabbing Wieters. If so, thanks for putting my mind at ease, AND A POX UPON YOUR HOUSE AND YOUR TEAM.

Keeping Wieters and Price in the minors may make long term sense for both franchises in terms of both baseball and finances. But its an unholy tease to us fantasy owners who believe that both players may be superstars in the not-so-distant future.