Forget about the Blue Chippers

[Freebird27]

For the most part the first few rounds arent going to make or break your team..unless you pull a total bonehead move. Lets talk about middle to late round players who have the potential or ability to help out more than their draft position indicates. These are the guys that make your season...or guys that progressed late in the season last year and look to build this season that some may have forgotten about...a la Weeks (strong 2nd half)

I know that Hamilton has been talked about a lot as high upside. He doesnt have to deal with the Reds crowded OF and has 5 tool potential...unjuries are a concern but has a Rios type ceiling I think if healthy.

[Pogotheostrich]

In the mocks I've seen Weeks is off the board around the 7th round. Hamilton is going much later but I don't see a Rios type ceiling. He isn't going to steal any bases but he could hit 30 HR.

[Tavish]

Matt Kemp and Alex Gordon are going to make the same type of jump next year that Rios and Markakis have this season and be regarded as worth a pick in the 2-4 round range.

[AllDay]

Both guys probably have a bigger chance to underperform their draft positions.

Weeks you know will miss time with injury

With Hamilton you can't be sure if it will be injury or drug suspension - but I think I'd rather take a young player with upside who doesn't have injury and drug issues to worry about.

[CadensDad]

I'd snag Weeks and Hamilton and feel ok drafting both Weeks as my starting 2b and Hamilton as my 3rd OF

[Ender]

Both guys probably have a bigger chance to underperform their draft positions.

Weeks you know will miss time with injury

With Hamilton you can't be sure if it will be injury or drug suspension - but I think I'd rather take a young player with upside who doesn't have injury and drug issues to worry about.

I don't think you can know that Weeks will miss time with an injury, sure he is a little riskier than others but it isn't some huge risk. He hurt his thumb in 2005 and he played through it, which is just something that happens to ballplayers. He hurt his wrist in 2006 and they were very up front saying that it would probably bother him all of 2007 and it did. He was a bad pick in 2007 because they knew he would have issues all yaer, but he is a good pick in 2008, you have to really look into these injury issues before judging the player.

I'd be more worried with Hamilton given his history.

[AllDay]

Well I won't draft Weeks as early as he is going, but I will grab him off the waiver wire when his frustrated owner cuts him.

By mid season I should be able to assemble a MI platoon of Weeks, Marcus Giles, and Bobby Crosby off the waiver wire.

[tuckerman85]

Well I won't draft Weeks as early as he is going, but I will grab him off the waiver wire when his frustrated owner cuts him.

By mid season I should be able to assemble a MI platoon of Weeks, Marcus Giles, and Bobby Crosby off the waiver wire.

No offense, but I don't think that is a prediction you can make. I've grabbed Weeks in every draft I've done this year, and I honestly can't wait to see him play this year with a healthy wrist.

[stumpak]

In the mocks I've seen Weeks is off the board around the 7th round. Hamilton is going much later but I don't see a Rios type ceiling. He isn't going to steal any bases but he could hit 30 HR.

Why do you say Hamilton will not steal "any" bases? Washington likes to run a little bit more than the average manager. I would expect Hamilton to wind up with 10+ SBs. Granted he only stole 3 last year, but this was in an abbreviated season, and he is 47 for 59 over ~1200 ABs in his minors career. The potential for at least 10 and maybe more is there.

[AllDay]

Well I won't draft Weeks as early as he is going, but I will grab him off the waiver wire when his frustrated owner cuts him.

By mid season I should be able to assemble a MI platoon of Weeks, Marcus Giles, and Bobby Crosby off the waiver wire.

No offense, but I don't think that is a prediction you can make. I've grabbed Weeks in every draft I've done this year, and I'm honestly can't wait to see him play this year with a healthy wrist.

Well, it's a hell of a lot safer prediction to make than predicting he will be healthy all year, which he never has.

He did finally break thru the 100 games played barrier last year, so there is hope. Maybe he will actually break 120 games played this year - but my money would be on his ankle or arm breaking first.