July 2, 2001
Quick Hits: Ken Caminiti
As we go through the motions of watching the Rangers try to earn a
"respectable" label by reaching .500 for the 2001 season, we'll take
opportunities as they arise to examine individual players for their
fantasy value. The usual weekly report will come, as always, on
Sunday night or Monday morning (or as breaking news warrants), with
a complete archive available at
http://dellepro.dellhost.com/doherty/portfolio/ESPN/. Of course,
feel free to contact me directly with your questions at
TexasRangersFantasyBaseball@yahoo.com. Today's spotlight falls on
Ken Caminiti.
Tearing it Up
It was a roller-coaster Monday for the veteran switch-hitting 3B.
Caminiti came off a stint on the DL, which he had vehemently
objected to in the first place, then immediately requested and
received his release. He plans to sign with a contender for the
pro-rated minimum, and the Cubs, Braves and Giants have all
expressed interest. Caminiti is hitting .232/9/25 with an OPS of
.750, and actually seemed to be coming out of his offensive funk
before being shelved. If he ends up with one of the aforementioned
teams in the hot-corner-poor National League, he may be worth a
flier in NL-only fantasy leagues.
Slumping
That said, Caminiti is finished as a truly productive, "keeper"
fantasy player; that 1996 MVP season seems further back than just
five years. He remains one of the guttiest players in the history of
the game, but he hasn’t had 500 at-bats since that '96 season and
hasn't reached 300 since 1998. A stint in hitter-friendly Wrigley or
Pac Bell might light a brief spark, but expect Caminiti to chase his
1,000th career RBI (he has 967) and then announce his retirement in
October. With apologies to Doug Rader and Steve Buechele, he’ll
leave as the finest 3B ever to play major league ball in the state
of Texas.
At the Plate
The upshot: Mike Lamb is your everyday Texas 3B, and is showing some
signs of offensive ability himself. He's still in the lower echelon
of AL third basemen; for those in universe leagues, wait to see
where Caminiti lands. If it's one of those hitters' parks, the vet
is probably still a better gamble than the kid. As for next year,
Lamb will face challenges from two top prospects: minor league
player of the year candidate Hank Blalock and 2001 draftee Mark
Teixeira. Lamb, who seems destined to be a solid, David Bell type of
player, won't be at 3B for long with those two around.
