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Fantasy baseball: The 2017 all-bust squad (Evan Gattis, Jake Arrieta) – Metro US

Fantasy baseball: The 2017 all-bust squad (Evan Gattis, Jake Arrieta)

Fantasy baseball: The 2017 all-bust squad (Evan Gattis, Jake Arrieta)
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Less than two weeks stand between us and Opening Day, and many of us have drafted at least once. For those who haven’t — and those whose trigger fingers are already itching for trades — here are my selections for the 2017 All-Bust team. We’ll look at the best bargains next week.

Catcher: Evan Gattis, Houston Astros

Gattis is the fifth catcher off the board by NFBC ADP despite not having a starting job. While he’ll reportedly see a slightly higher workload than the usual backup and some time at designated hitter, consistent at-bats could be tough to come by.

First base: Wil Myers, San Diego Padres

Myers finally stayed healthy for a full season in 2016, and the results were impressive. He came close to being the first 30/30 player in MLB since 2012, scored 99 runs and drove in 94. So what’s not to like? Well, obviously the injury history is discouraging, but even if he can avoid the disabled list, Myers clearly hit a wall in the second half. Can he be productive over the long grind?

Second base: Jean Segura, Seattle Mariners

As good as he was last season, it’s hard to forget that Segura was one of the worst hitters in baseball over the preceding two and a half years. While Safeco Field doesn’t play as pitcher-friendly as it used to, it’s still not Chase Field. Segura did the bulk of his damage there and at Coors, hitting 40 points higher at those two parks than anywhere else, and 13 of his 20 home runs.

Third base: Eduardo Nunez, San Francisco Giants

Nunez’s career OBP checks in at a pedestrian .314, meaning he’ll have to get the green light an awful lot to replicate his 40 swipes from a year ago. Despite his breakout performance at the plate, his run production didn’t move the needle, as he managed just 140 R+RBI. He also cratered in the second half.

Shortstop: Jonathan Villar, Milwaukee Brewers

Villar showed surprising pop in 2016, but hadn’t reached double-digits in homers since 2012, and that was at Double-A. He also either struck out or popped up in nearly 40 percent of his plate appearances, making it difficult to expect another high batting average. Any offensive struggles will take a bite out of his runs scored and stolen base totals.

Outfield: Ian Desmond, Colorado Rockies

Desmond has been Jekyll and Hyde the last couple seasons. He hit well in the second half of 2015 and first half last year, but barely looked like a major leaguer the rest of the time. The move to Colorado had many fantasy owners excited, but a broken hand will keep him out for at least the first few weeks of the season. Hand injuries tend to linger, raising questions about Desmond’s ability to produce even after he returns to the lineup.

Starting pitcher: Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs

Arrieta struggled with bouts of wildness all season, but as the season wore on, he also had trouble putting hitters away. His K/9 dropped from 9.5 to 7.5 and his home run rate nearly doubled. The veteran has thrown a lot of innings over the last two seasons, and the workload could be catching up to him.

Kyle Bishop is a lead MLB columnist at RotoBaller.com. His articles and Fantasy Baseball Rankings are your secret weapon for winning fantasy leagues.