Sleeper Watch

Frustrated by a lack of production from the 2B position? Desperate for steals, but still waiting for Luis Castillo, Willie Harris, Eric Young and company to start running? Help may be on the way!

Fantasy owners often look to their second baseman for speed, yet over the last month, speedsters Castillo, Harris and Young have only swiped two bags apiece. Needless to say, that’s not going to help you much if you’re locked in a tight race in the SB category. Even worse, Brian Roberts, the top thief at the position with 26 steals this season, seems to have decided that crime doesn’t pay, and doesn’t have a steal since August 3. But watch out for the new kid on the 2B block. Cincinnati’s Ryan Freel has played 14 games at second, meaning that he’ll qualify for the position in many leagues shortly.

In the last 30 days, Freel has stolen 12 bases, twice as many as the top 2B, Alfonso Soriano. Thanks largely to those steals, Freel’s 5×5 value over that period has been second only to Houston’s Jeff Kent among second sackers.

Since we mentioned Freel at the beginning of the season, he has performed pretty much as expected: his average (.277) indeed won’t hurt you, his BB/K mark is solid (0.80), runs batted in are few and far between (just 27 in 130 games), and steals are still the main reason to have him on your roster. Now, however, 2B eligibility gives him a new dimension, further increasing his fantasy value. If he didn’t fit into your plans as a third baseman, give him another look now.