I hear it all preseason every year.

“Ray, who should I take in the first round?”

I wrote about this fallacy in Does the First Round Really Matter?

“Is it more important to choose the #7 or #10 pick?”

“How long should I wait to take my first starting pitcher?”

All of those things matter. They do. But they miss the bigger point.

You have to draft an entire team. Doesn’t matter who you take first or fourth, you still have to roster a whole team. You also have to spend your reserve round picks wisely. This article will attempt to explain why it’s at least as important for you to worry about how to spend your 25th pick as it is to lose sleep over who to take in the fifth round. All the picks matter, despite the dismissive tone taken by so many when it comes to late-round selections.

Here are a few data points to keep in mind when you’re considering how to spend your late-round selections on draft day.

1 – Who you roster late should be a reflection of who you rostered early.

Do you have a strong first sacker but no corner infield depth?

Do you have five outfielders to fill your starting outfield but you have yet to take a sixth?

Do you have zero middle infield depth, so you need to attack it now?

You can take the “I’m grabbing the best player available” option, and it can work. However, I think a lot can be offered to support the position that you should use the reserve rounds to bolster the weaknesses of your club. Seems extremely logical to me. Does it to you? That’s how I would personally recommend you address the reserve rounds – add to your weaknesses so they aren’t as big a suck-hole as they appeared to be earlier in your draft.

2 – Draft a player based on a category need.

Do you look at your roster and think – I’m short on homers? If that’s the case maybe guys like Brandon Moss or Colby Rasmus are worth a look.

Are you light in the steals category? Then it’s time to call out Jarrod Dyson or Travis Jankowski.

What about strikeouts? Light there? Maybe it’s time to kick the tires on Gio Gonzalez or Colin McHugh.

This line of thinking builds off the same thought process we touched on in point No. 1. Don’t be afraid to target players who fit a specific need for your team, even if the overall package might have some warts.

3 – The reserve rounds are the time to take chances on players with less-than-certain playing time, but guys who hold strong skills.

I talk/write a lot about skills with players. I’m a big believer in skills winning out. It doesn’t always work, I will freely admit that. But over the course of time, skills do win out. Eventually, managers realize that the skills are there. Eventually, the skills simply show themselves on the field and the players force themselves into the lineup on a more consistent basis.

You have to have the opportunity to flash the skills, no doubt there, but too often people target opportunity over skill (especially in the bullpen). Early in the draft you want the opportunity. You want the guys who are racking up 500 at-bats and 180-innings. But, as the rounds wear on you start to hit the tipping point. In Round 20, you can get an outfielder with a .275-18-70-70 line, or a pitcher with 12 victories, a 3.97 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. That isn’t going to do a damn thing for you. As the rounds pile up, and I would suggest once you hit the 20th round you start to consider this line of thought (even a bit later if you can), it might be time to start zeroing in on the guys who profile for 400 at-bats or 140-innings but who also own elite level skills. What if the “starting” player is hurt? Will he be able to get his job back if during the time he misses, the “skills” flash? What if the player drafted early has a .225 batting average or a 4.75 ERA? Will the manager turn to the “skills” player and give him a shot? Will there be a trade that will open up playing time? Things to consider.

When the rounds start to pile up, finding replacement level numbers really doesn’t do much for you. The bottom line is, the later it gets in your draft, the more aggressive you can be with taking players who don’t have an everyday job but possess intriguing skills (note – this doesn’t mean you go bonkers, so be reasonable with this suggestion).

4 – The reserve rounds are the appropriate time to take a shot on rookies.

I always write the Never Depend on Rookies article. I generally, and you all know this by now, don’t like drafting rookies. Why? Because the cost is always too high. Someone always reaches on a rookie. In fact, many do and, nearly universally, those selections end up bringing tears. Now, there’s an obvious caveat to this line of thought. Taking a rookie in the ninth round is stupid. Taking a rookie in the 13th round is ill-advised. Taking a rookie in Round 24... I can get behind that. At the right point in any draft, most players are worthy of being called out. Rookies, in particular, fall into this category. Just like in point No. 2 above, you have to keep in mind the point in your draft where the playing time and talent start to meet up. When you start to get that feeling that the veteran is just a guy, you can start to consider pivoting to the rookie.

5 – Mining bullpen arms can be extremely beneficial.

I love this line of thought, and I do it every year.

Who is the most expensive player on waivers to add in-season? The answer is either (A) the hot-shot rookie call-up, or (B) the middle reliever moving into the closer’s role.

Each week we all hunt for closers on the waiver-wire. We all do it. We stalk them with a keen eye and are ready to pounce with a full-throated yell if we have the opportunity. Instead of having to blast away and destroy my free agent budget in-season, I love to take a shot on 1-2 relievers in the reserve rounds on Draft Day. I target impressively skilled arms who are likely to ascend to the closers role because (A) their skills are simply too impressive to ignore or (B) they are behind a shaky closer on Draft Day. Be proactive. Adding that middle reliever in the 28th round is a way better use of your allocated resources than spending $225 dollars of your FAAB money when that same guy becomes the closer on April 15th.