Season Preview: Bip Roberts

-Coming into the draft, how do you feel your keepers stacked up to the rest of the league?

I liked some of my players but felt I was lacking the dominant superstar of certain positions. Several of my guys were drafted in the first two rounds of this year's draft and are really good players. Guys like Tommy Hanson, Nelson Cruz, and Carlos Santana were all close cuts, but were they really that much better than Adrian Gonzalez (coming off injury and a wealth of power available at first base), Frank Lirano (who strikes out a lot of guys, but is not considered a dominant pitcher), or Shin Soo Choo (who does nothing wrong but also nothing spectacularly well)?

-That in mind, what was your primary objective heading into the draft? And do that effect, did you accomplish it?

I honestly don't have a draft strategy and rarely do I even target a single guy. I usually go into a draft with a few players in mind but am always trying to pick the best available player, regardless of position. If mockdraftcentral would have let me, I was not going to draft a catcher. Once Carlos Santana was off the board, I didn't feel as if anyone was worthy of using a draft pick that couldn't be picked up later on waivers. In previous years, I've been short in the runs/steals category, so I did attempt to get a few guys who would help out there (Gardner).

-You were able to get Chris Young, a 25-25 guy, in the fifth round- was that your best draft pick?

If I could remember the order of who I picked, I would be better able to comment on the value of the Chris Young pick. That said, I think he's a good player. I think he'll play better than last year and doesn't have a statistical weakness (re: Shin Soo Choo). I was also pleased to get Rickie Weeks in the first round, as I debated between him and Dan Uggla, but that decision was made for me and I like how it turned out. I think Clay Buchholz is going to win a lot of games and that Brett Myers was undervalued, so I was also pleased with those two. And I was able to sprinkle a couple of prospects in there that have potential but won't cripple me if they don't turn out in Tyler Colvin and Freddie Freeman.

-Just two of your first ten picks were allocated to Starting Pitchers. Are you confident in rebound years from Jake Peavy and Carlos Zambrano?

No, I'm not. Again, I don't recall the order of the draft, but I'm pretty sure that I had Lincecum, Liriano, Buchholz, and Myers before I drafted Peavy or Zambrano. I'm hoping they make for bottom of the rotation mediocrity. I honestly feel Brian Duensing is going to have as competitive of a year as either of the two injured fellows. But, Peavy is a DL guy who isn't taking up a roster spot and I have no issue finding a guy or two on the waiver wire.

-Did you “miss” on any of your draft targets? Any draft regrets?

Probably because he's an Indian, Carlos Santana was sad to see go. I also thought Victor Martinez would have been an asset since he's doing the DH thing and could have filled the catcher position. I also loved my team at the end of last year and would have liked to have back Nelson Cruz and Tommy Hanson, but that was not feasible.

-What do you feel is your team’s biggest deficiency?

Starting pitching. I'm not in love with Liriano. You've pointed out the Peavy/Zambrano Chicago-land mess. Living in Minnesota, I think I've heard way more about Brian Duensing than anyone else, but he's largely unproven. And is any draft really that good when you utter the words "I'm excited about Brett Myers?" Oddly enough, the position I didn't want to draft at all, catcher, has turned out to be my best position through the first week of the season. I'm willing to trade Russell Martin for any Cy Young contenders if anyone is interested.

Also, I hate drafting closers. Just throwing that out there.