People always are asking about our sleepers, but before you decide who those players are, you have to define what a sleeper is. You've heard of Chad Tracy, I assume. The guy smacked 27 home runs last season, and hit .308. Is that a sleeper? Or is it someone you don't know who suddenly emerges? I'd guess it's an old saying pertaining to "someone you shouldn't sleep on," so to speak, because their performance will make you wake up and do cartwheels. Who knows?
Whenever I mention "sleepers" on ESPNEWS or on radio shows, I try to keep it to the lesser names, guys like J.J. Hardy, Curtis Granderson and pretty much any Marlin not named Miguel Cabrera. Then someone will say something like, "What, you like Hardy more than Felipe Lopez?" No, not at all, but when someone calls Jim Thome and Matt Holliday a sleeper, or Andy Pettitte, it's different. How are they sleepers? I guess a sleeper can be interpreted in many ways.
So, you asked for some names I players I like, here they are, grouped to define them better. A sleeper really is someone who is being drafted far below their value, so it's possible we could call Mike Piazza one, if you think his numbers will be good, or Frank Thomas, if you believe he'll play enough. Again, these are just my opinions, so if you're not a big Sal Fasano fan, then avoid him. Let's not use the word sleeper at all, but undervalued.
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Eric Karabell
