When is the right time to draft Bryce Harper?
D.J. Short and Scott Pianowski analyze Bryce Harper's injury and discuss when is the right time to select the injured superstar in drafts.
Video Transcript
- Let's start with Bryce Harper here, D.J. What do you think this does to him in drafts? Because that's a long-- by the time he comes back, you could potentially be out of it in your season.
D.J. SHORT: I mean, that's a great point. And I think it's going to vary from league to league who's willing to take the risk. But let's say he comes back in July. That's like getting a first-round pick added to your roster. So at a certain point, I think it becomes-- especially if you need power or if you're in an on-base percentage league, you're going to jump maybe a little bit earlier. Or maybe you just don't have as many home runs as you were hoping to get going into your draft, it becomes more feasible. But I really think from league to league it's going to vary widely.
- Scott, do you think this opens the door to maybe get some value out of Harper and Marte if they just fall down the boards, or do you think they're just too big of household names that won't happen?
SCOTT PIANOWSKI: Yeah, you know, I always say that it's no fun to play fantasy sports like an actuary, but I have to do it with Harper. He's going to miss half the season. How healthy? Does he come back and hit the ground running or is there an adjustment period? Do they not even play him every day because they don't want to overextend him? Maybe the Phillies are seven games up in the NL East at that point and they think, OK Bryce, just play four days a week, play five days a week. We saw last year they didn't even want him to play defense anymore, they just wanted him to hit because he wasn't healthy.
I'm not going to be the injury optimist in my league. Now if I'm in a league where nobody wants to touch Harper, fine. I'll pick him up. I'll stash him on IL, which is part of the Yahoo Fantasy game and all that. I get it. But I'm not going to be the most optimistic person on his return.
In the case of Marte, we need stolen bases to be a part of his game. And he's into his 30s now. You just wonder that at one point-- and I know a couple of years ago with Oakland it felt like he stole a base every game, but he's at a dangerous cliff in his career where at some point he could just decide it's not worth it and he has, like, an eight stolen base season.
There's two players-- it's no fun to not draft Bryce Harper. It's no fun to not draft Mike Trout. We don't know what to do with him. He'll be a second-round pick this year. When have we ever said that before? But Harper is probably on my fade list this season.
D.J. SHORT: And the other thing about stashing a player like Harper for half the season, it's like you were saying, you might be done by the time he's ready to go and you're dropping players who are hurt also to leave room for Harper to return in mid-season. It can be complicated. So maybe you don't want to add that to your palette, you know?
- Yeah if that happens, you'd better be ready to trade him.
SCOTT PIANOWSKI: I like to say don't draft into injuries because injuries are going to find you. You don't have to go out finding them.