The biggest advantage to drafting this late in the spring is that you, obviously, have all the latest news on injuries and position battles heading into the season. Roster cuts are being made and managers are already starting to make those tough decisions about who's getting the playing time and who's riding the pine. With that, your late round picks become a little less risky as you have much more information with which to work. There still might be a few question marks about particular guys, but this far into spring, enough things are taking shape that you can use those late round picks to build a great supporting cast and have fantastic depth to start the year. With the ADP Trend Report, you can get see some of those late spring risers and use that information to help shape those final few picks.
Nate Schierholtz, OF SF (+19.2|PERCENT|) – Though he's been a bit banged up this spring and hasn't done much with the bat, the expectations are that the Giants will use Schierholtz as their starting right-fielder, at least to open the season. That corner of AT&T Park can be awfully tricky, so a strong, defensive-minded player is really what the team needs there, as evidenced by last season's failed experiment with Aubrey Huff. No one on that roster plays it better than Nate, so it should be interesting to see how Bruce Bochy works things out with his annual glut of corner outfielders. As it stands right now, Angel Pagan will be in center, Melky Cabrera in left, Brandon Belt and Huff in a first base platoon with Schierholtz in right. He doesn't have a tremendous about of pop in his bat, but with regular playing time, he could make for a great plug-and-play option in daily leagues.
Clint Barmes, SS PIT (+14.2|PERCENT|) – Sometimes all you're looking for is a guy who is playing every day and receiving regular at-bats. That seems to be all that Barmes has going for him right now as he is slated to be the Pirates shortstop come Opening Day and beyond. He's having himself a fairly decent spring, batting .367 over 30 at-bats, but be wary of the fact that he already has seven strikeouts to just one walk and he hasn't hit higher than .245 since 2008. Without a legitimate shortstop even close to major league-ready in the system and with the endorsement of his manager, Clint Hurdle, Barmes seems to have some pretty sound job security. He did manage 23 home runs back in 2009, but keep your expectations low here. He's never been the same since that ill-fated day when Todd Helton made him carry all that deer meat up a flight of stairs.
Travis Snider, OF TOR (+12.5|PERCENT|) – The one thing that's working against Snider right now is that he still has a minor league option left. The same cannot be said for his left field competition, Eric Thames. But that doesn't seem to be concerning many people as you can see his small but steady climb up the ADP ranks. Snider is having two good a spring for people to ignore, especially with his strong second half in the minors last season. To date, he's batting .325 with four home runs and 15 home runs and is certainly out-producing Thames in the power department. Just be wary of the 13 strikeouts to just four walks over 44 plate appearances. Depending on how things shake out with the rest of the roster, Snider could still start the season in Triple-A, but if he does, he'll likely receive a call-up fairly soon.
Luke Scott, OF/DH TB (+13.7|PERCENT|) – Shoulder problems and age seem to hamper Scott's 2011 campaign, but that didn't stop the Rays from signing him as their primary DH this season. Obviously, not playing the field is going to make Scott a much more attractive option as it lowers the injury risk, and with 20-home run power, he could be a solid late round sleeper. You won't be seeing any sort of a great batting average from him, but 22 home runs and 70 RBI aren't too bad when they're coming from your 22nd round pick. There's also a bit of a rumor going around that Scott could bat second in the lineup and while what would be great for fantasy owners, he's definitely more suited to hit lower in the order and garner some good RBI opportunities.
Drew Pomeranz, SP COL (11.6|PERCENT|) – Provided everything stays as is, the prize return from the Ubaldo Jimenez trade will open this season in the Rockies rotation. Thus far, he has thrown seven scoreless innings this spring, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out seven. He's certainly not going to overpower anyone, but with a nasty curve and a quality changeup, Pomeranz should find success at the major league level. Things might be slow-going at first, but his overall command is excellent and he will develop as the season progresses. He'll be a great guy to watch this season, but he projects even better for the long-haul, so if he is somehow available in your keeper league, try to nab him for cheap late in your draft.
Trevor Bauer, SP/RP ARI (+31.1|PERCENT|) – One of the bigger risers on the most recent ADP Trend Report, Bauer is still likely to start his season in Triple-A. However, with Josh Collmenter and the well-traveled Joe Saunders in the back end of the D-backs' rotation, it might not be long before Bauer gets a call-up. The young righty has often been compared to Tim Lincecum with his funky delivery and massive strikeout potential and while he may not have looked the part all spring, he has still flashed moments of brilliance in his 10 Cactus League innings with his 9.00 K/BB. The fact that he's starting in Triple-A should help keep his price/draft round down, but if he keeps making these significant jumps from week to week, you might have to act sooner than later to get him.
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Howard Bender has been covering fantasy sports for over ten years on a variety of web sites including Rotowire,FanGraphs and The Fantasy Baseball Buzz. You can follow him on Twitter at @rotobuzzguy or email him at rotobuzzguy@gmail.com.