The Seattle Mariners have a lot to think about this year, and one of the topics is just what to do with Chone Figgins. Last year, Figgins enjoyed a productive season that was highlighted by his 42 stolen bases and 30 doubles.
But his days of being an Angel are obviously over.
As Seattle tries to find the best rotation spot for Figgins, Fantasy mangers will be deciding just how to rank the third baseman in preparation for the draft.
To be honest, the guy has a lot more value than I think people are giving him credit for.
While it’s arguable that 2005 was Figgins’ best year as a player, it is hard to look away from his overall stat line from a year ago:
615 AB, 183 H, 5 HR, 54 RBIs and 114 runs scored; in addition, of course, to his 42 stolen bases and 30 doubles.
Chone Figgins winds up being a great value pick every single year in Fantasy Baseball. He is an extra base hitting machine and for the last six years in a ROW Figgins has posted double digits for 2 base hits (doubles) while averaging out at around 50+ RBIs a year, 93 runs scored a year, and 44 stolen bases a year—every year, for six years. Now that’s money!
The Mariners will ultimately do one of two things:
1. They will place him right behind Ichiro Suzuki in the second spot. This has an interesting look if you consider Ichiro’s OBP of .386 and Figgins’ OBP of .395 from a year ago. It preserves the probability of a high runs scored count for Figgins while adding additional value to other roster members who could see an increase in RBI counts. Great news for “roto” leaguers
2. They will place him a bit farther towards the middle—albeit unlikely—to try and utilize him as a base stealing threat. With all that speed it’s an idea they could entertain, but either way it is more likely he will bat second or even third.
Still, with new life being breathed into his career, Figgins has the ability to be a fifth or even sixth round steal this year; I would keep your eye open for him before really digging into those later rounds.
