2013 World Baseball Classic - Venezuela

 Venezuela was a 2nd round team in 2006, but took a big step forward in '09 when they powered their way to the semi-finals. The odds of a return trip was against them as 2013 began, with them in the same opening pool as Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. Falling 9-3 to DR and 6-3 to PR sealed their fate as both those countries were destined for a very deep run, but Venezuela could at least assure their spot in the next WBC if they could avoid a last place finish. In a fight for pride, Venezuela beat Spain in their final game 11-6 to at least avoid having to requalify.

Prado should find a role on your team with that great defensive coverage with solid defensive numbers all around. The on base is a solid 9 and the chart doesn't aggravate.

Alvarez may not be big on the strikeouts, but the control and chart hold up for a control pitcher. If you have a trustworthy defense in the field, you can feel comfortable pitching Henderson here.

Elvis Andrus is a very classical type of Shortstop. Fast, decent defense and no power. Unfortunately, the game has changed and your middle infielders should have at least *some* semblance of power if he wants to be relied on in the starting lineup.

Belisario could be a reliable option out of the bullpen most nights. 

So Asdrubal Cabrera represents a Shortstop who has more than just a semblance of power, if you don't mind a complete drop of defense in exchange.

Chacin is pretty standard for a 5 control pitcher. 6IP and 16-20 runners allowed. A bit light on strikeouts, but otherwise pretty solid.

Carlos Gonzalez is a big yes for many teams. 10 on-base, A speed, +2 defense in the outfield, very satisfying spread on his chart. Build a team around this card.

For a Catcher, Ramon's 7 on-base isn't horrible. And it's a lot easier to accept with 16-20 homer potential on his chart.

Infante had a solid 9 on-base to hit with, but I wouldn't blame you for replacing him late in the game with someone who could actually field at 2nd Base.

Jimenez won't let you down *most* of the time.

Nothing major here. Just another superstar just off a triple crown season. I'd suggest putting him in at DH if you can, though. Call me biased, but if I'm gonna budget over 600pts for a hitter, the least he can do is have even a tiny bit of defensive value.

Montreo isn't horrible, but the first just for your Catcher is to be able to control the other teams running game, and only +5 at Catcher might allow teams with a lot of fast runners to feel bold with 2nd base open.

I'm making a mental note of Parra here. An outfielder with +3 is always just for center, but Parra can utilize that +3 for the corner spots too. That alone might be enough for some of you to put his meh offensive card on your bench.

Perez is a pretty standard Catcher, all things considered, but that +8 makes him stand out just a bit more.

Francisco Rodriguez may not be a Closer here, but he makes for a solid setup man at least. I'd march him out on the 9th before some of the actual Closers featured in this WBC.

The 6 control guys with 16-20 runners chart will let your down from time to time, but not that often. Sanchez won't pitch a shutout, but if your offense is rolling than he can get the job done.

Fresh off his World Series MVP, Sandoval may not have the same pop he enjoyed, however. Though he hasn't reached the "falling off a cliff" stage of his career either.

Scutaro isn't horrible. Like I've mentioned before, middle infield is the one place where no power guys can be acceptable...but I have official Showdown cards of Scutaro that at least offer better defensive skills and variety, which are coloring my perception of his card here.

Probably the best Reliever on team Venezuela. Control of 5 and not a lot of baserunners.