2010 Cards?

[blsmith7]

This may be a fairly obvious question to some, but I wanted to generate some discussion (and excitement) for the new cards as we get closer to their release. And I'm not a ratings book guy, so I figured others who study this would have more informed opinions.

Here are my questions:

1. Who will be the highest priced cards at each position (including SP, RP, and Closer)?

and

2. What will be the surprise high price card this year (a la Wes Helms a couple of years back)?

[AeroDave10]

Top Priced:

C - Joe Mauer
1B - Albert Pujols
2B - Robinson Cano
3B - Adrian Beltre
SS - Troy Tulowitzki
LF - Carl Crawford
CF - Josh Hamilton
RF - Carlos Gonzalez
DH - Jim Thome

LHSP - Clayton Kershaw
RHSP - Felix Hernandez
RP - Joe Thatcher
Closer - Hong-Chih Kuo

Surprise card: Donnie Murphy

[Jerlins]

List is fairly accurate on the hitting side, Benoit will be the RP I'm guessing, and perhaps Soriano as the CL. I wouldn't be surprised if Pujols is knocked off as the #1 1st baseman. Gonzalez won't be listed as a RF.

Cano will be $2 million more than any other hitter.

[AeroDave10]

Yes, Hamilton and Gonzalez will both be listed with LF as their primary position, though they will both be available to play CF and Cargo in RF, too.

Jayson Werth may be the top primary RF, with Nelson Cruz and Jose Bautista looming. The top primary CF will likely be Andres Torres, but considerably less $$ than all these other guys, I think.

I can believe Benoit being the #1 RP. If anything, Mo Rivera will be priced ahead of Kuo, not Soriano.

I was torn between picking Pujols and Votto. They'll be neck and neck.

Cano will be $2M more than every other 2B, but not that much more than every other hitter. I'm not even sure he'll be the most expensive. If he is, and by that much, he'll be way overpriced. Still, that may be possible since TSN tends to overprice defense and health.

[thisisdan26]

[quote:6ec0b29b56="Jerlins"] Cano will be $2 million more than any other hitter.[/quote:6ec0b29b56]

Agreed. TSN <3's <3's <3's Defense...just look at last year...Tulo was #19 in OPS (in carded hitters) but still managed to get the 3rd highest priced card ($2.26 mil behind Mauer).

Also, 2B and SS are becoming increasingly weaker hitting positions by the year. The only other middle infielder in the same OPS range as Cano, is Tulo, but he'll have an injury to drop his $$ a little bit.

[Jerlins]

Nope, $2 million than every other hitter not just 2nd basemen, and will be worth every penny.

[thisisdan26]

Yeah just double checked his defense...knew he was a "1", but a 1e3?!?! Worth it for sure.

[ClowntimeIsOver]

Tulowitski may be the most expensive inj-3 player since ... who? Bonds? His DP count is ugly, though.

Janish might be a better value in a park with very high RH batter singles and low RH batter HRs, and maybe Andrus too (with less power than Janish, but also fewer injuries). McDonald would be good in a high RH HR park (and gives roster flexibility in the infield), though he too has lots of DPs. Reyes (much worse v. LHP) is almost as good as Tulow vs. RHP, especially in a low-RH-HR park, with low injuries and DPs and high steals. Ramirez has decent power (not like Tulow's though) with low injuries and a 1 field range, and can steal, but again lots of DPs. But that's about it ... and I'm sure I'm stretching it for all of them.

BTW, on another subject (second basemen): There are only four good-fielding, low-injury 2B: Cano, Phillips (1 range), Prado, Zobrist (2 range). Everybody else either risks 15-game injuries or has a 3-range or worse. So back-up 2Bs will be important.

[blsmith7]

I guess asking for the top priced cards was pretty obvious. But I do like the discussion about players who might fly under the radar like Murphy and Janish.

I personally am wondering what Chris Heisey's card will be like. His splits against righties are nice and he's solid on D at the corner OF spots.

[ClowntimeIsOver]

I referred to "a park with very high RH batter singles and low RH batter HRs."

I realized after I posted that there AREN'T any parks like that in 2010. Whoops. (In fact, there's much less variety in parks in this set, and there's a strong pitching bias.)