Chone Figgins, 3B, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

March 30, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Scott Ehrlich
Edited by Nicholas Minnix

When Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim third baseman Chone Figgins (fingers) went down with two fractured fingers in late March, the Angels lost a very valuable member of their organization. Furthermore, Figgins owners everywhere winced as they, too, lost a very valuable member of their team. He's likely out until at least May. He will have a splint on each finger, and the team will reevaluate him in a couple of weeks.

Figgins' Value

Figgins is a very valuable player to fantasy teams for three reasons: runs, steals and versatility. While the diminutive former Colorado Rockies farmhand is similar statistically to another player that fits that description, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Juan Pierre, Figgins can do it while helping a team at a number of positions. Figgins qualifies in the fantasy world at third base as well as outfield, and in some leagues even second base. That's a combination of flexibility that really can help a fantasy owner. In addition, Figgins is one of the rare elite sources of stolen bases - lots of them, as his 114 over the last two seasons will attest.

Table: Chone Figgins Statistics (2003-2006)

Year	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
2003	240	34	71	0	27	13	.296	.345	.367
2004	577	83	171	5	60	34	.296	.350	.419
2005	642	113	186	8	57	62	.290	.352	.397
2006	604	93	161	9	62	52	.267	.336	.376

In Anaheim Figgins was supposed to primarily fill in at the hot corner, a position that has seen its share of players since third baseman Troy Glaus left for the Arizona Diamondbacks after the 2004 season. Now, with Figgins out, his position will largely be filled by infielder Maicer Izturis, who is essentially a poor man's version of Figgins, and infielder Robb Quinlan, a journeyman type that has hit well when given the chance. Last year Izturis batted .293 with five homers, 44 RBI and 14 steals in 352 at-bats. Quinlan would likely add more pop to the Angels offense, but he doesn't serve as the catalyst that Figgins is. Quinlan hit .321 with nine home runs and 32 RBI in 234 at-bats.

Fantasy Impact

Figgins was expected to bat at the bottom of the lineup entering the season. As such, expect to see little change in the RBI opportunities for players such as outfielders Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson. Figgins' injury may hurt the Angels less than it hurts a fantasy club. His absence will be a blow in the stolen base department; however, finding cheap steals early in the season isn't impossible. If he has gone undrafted, risk-taking fantasy owners can try Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Chris Duffy, who stole 26 bases in his 314 at-bats. He could be a hindrance to a team's batting average, though. Owners could also take their chances with Colorado Rockies second baseman Kazuo Matsui. Risk-averse fantasy owners may opt for Izturis instead, who should give a team a few steals while not causing too much damage in any department.

Figgins' Outlook

Being that this is a hand injury, there shouldn't be any long-term deficit to Figgins' key assets, his legs, once he returns. Most concerning about Figgins is the Angels' failure this offseason to add more dangerous hitters to the lineup, something that could've increased every Angel's value. There remains a lot of skepticism about the impact that free-agent signee and outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. can have.

Also of note is the substantial drop in Figgins' batting average from 2005 to 2006. This poor average could very easily repeat itself, but even so, Figgins is still capable of posting numbers in the .270-5-40 range with 35 stolen bases and 65 runs scored. The stolen bases alone make him a very useful fantasy option, even with the missed time. The news should hurt Figgins' fantasy value significantly, however. In 12-team mixed league drafts that have yet to take place, he should fall to roughly the seventh or eighth round.

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Scott Ehrlich

Scott Ehrlich has been involved with sports for the last four years. He spent parts of three seasons working with various minor league baseball teams and internet sports sites. In 2004 he hosted his own sports talk show on 790AM in South Florida, featuring guests from all four major sports. Scott currently resides in Ft. Lauderdale, FL but will be attending law school at the University of Florida in August, where he hopes to one day be the guy responsible for holding your favorite player out of training camp.

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