Drew A Blank
April 27, 2009
Category: Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes
As Stephen Drew tried to take that step forward in 2009 that fantasy baseball owners craved, he hurt his hamstring. Wonder what a Drew family vacation is like… “J.D., you wanna go see the world’s largest bottle cap? It’s supposedly 17 inches in circumference!” “Sure, I’ll go tell Mom and Pop.” On the way to the Sequoia, two hamstring pulls, a fractured hip and the Mom needs Tommy John surgery. Pretty sure no one’s giving them joint family coverage. The MDs in AZ say Drew’s injury shouldn’t knock him out longer than the 15 days. When you consider he hadn’t even started to hit yet, looks like Drew’ll begin his season mid-May. All in all, this is a decent buy low guy right now. If you can trade some spare parts for him (closer-du-jour, extra OF, etc.), he should prove worth stashing. He’s still talented and he can have a solid three-quarters of a season. Hopefully, he spent the first quarter on someone else’s team. Anyway, here’s what else we saw yesterday for fantasy baseball:
Brandon Webb – Earliest return date is late-May. Still a long season so you can’t really sell him short, but with the trouble coming in his right shoulder, I’d be worried this doesn’t become a worst situation before it gets better.
Brian McCann – Headed for Lasik with eye problems. Maybe he said fudge and Cox made him suck on some soap. David Ross is filling in for him on the Braves and he hit a HR yesterday. Ross actually isn’t an awful replacement for fantasy owners either. You might get some pop and his killer average shouldn’t hurt for only two weeks. It matters how deep your league is, but I’d also look at Salty, Hundley, Shoppach and Laird, in that order.
Chris Getz – Headed to the DL. I know what you’re thinking, Gordon Beckham gets his chance! Yeah, but what matters is what Ozzie Guillen’s thinking. Ozzie’s thinking Brent Lillibridge and Jayson Nix. I know what you’re thinking now, what’s Ozzie thinking?!
Jake Peavy – 5 IP, 5 ER. I know this is no in-depth observation, but he just doesn’t look right. This is very sad for me. He’s given up way too many home runs and walks. I wouldn’t sell him short because he can go on a ten game run where he’s unhittable… Or at least I hope he does.
Justin Upton – HRs in back-to-back games in between numerous flailings at breaking pitches (Jaboo strikes again). At this point, he should just change his last name to Upside. Because that’s both his allure and the reason he’s overvalued in every non-keeper league.
Mark Reynolds – 5th homer yesterday. Guess who else hit his 5th homer yesterday? Davis. We got ourselves a hot one, America!
Conor Jackson – 2-for-6. Got the game winning hit yesterday, which means poopie-squat for fantasy, but it might be the confidence builder he needs.
Cameron Maybin – 0-for-5, batting .189 on the season. Sleeper pick went comatose the first month of the season. I’m ready to pull the plug in 12 team leagues. Potential replacements are Spillborghs, Kubel, Cody Ross, Teahen or Juan Rivera, obviously depends on what is out there.
Clayton Kershaw – 4 2/3, 9 ER. Walk, tried to get ahead of a hitter resulting in a home run… Rinse and repeat. From an absolute gem against the Giants where he K’d 13 to back-to-back beatings. He’s too good/erratic to bench. If you bench him, you’ll miss a gem.
Adam LaRoche – 2 HRs, bringing his season total to 5. Guess all it took was being on the same team as his little brother, Andy. (Why haven’t the Yanks signed Mark Teixeira’s little brother to get him off his typical slow start? Like Cody Ransom or Angel Berroa are better?) Maybe now he’s a 2nd half of April hitter. His upside still seems like Jorge Cantu… And his downside too.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia – 7-for-13 this weekend. As I said last week, I was giving him one more week. This was the kind of weekend I was looking for. He’s earned a bit longer leash.
Kenshin Kawakami – It’s 4 starts now and the control (11 BB in 21.2 IP) + gopheritis (5 in 4 games) has us thinking Atlanta signed some 1/2 price sushi. The K’s are intriguing but he has to be downgraded to matchup starter vs. start every game.
Manny Parra – 5 IP, 1 ER. Hey, I’m a fan, but frankly this could’ve been a five earned game just as easily.
Jose Valverde – Got the save but was noticeably limping. Cuddle Boy, Hawkins should be held for now.
Andy Sonnanstine – 4 IP, 7 ER. The A’s whooped that trick.
B.J. Upton – 0-for-4, .156 on the season. While J. Up is all upside, B. Up is not this bad.
Justin Masterson – 5 1/3 IP, 1 ER. Keeping walks down and Ks up. Hopefully, Dice-K doesn’t take the bullet train back.
Pablo Sandoval - 4-for-4, HR, now batting .292. Hope everyone held out hope where he was eligible at catcher. He’s stocky (read: fat) but doesn’t have that much power. My preseason projections gave him 14 homers and a .300 average. Still sounds about right.
Jered Weaver – 7 shutout innings leaves him at 2-1 with good ERA, WHIP, solid K rate (almost 8 per 9 IP) and, most importantly, he’s not another Angel pitcher with a broken wing. Only owned in 87% of ESPN leagues. Seems to be underrated – maybe because of his brother?
Jordan Zimmermann – 5 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 5 Ks. No weepstakes here so far. Very impressive start against the Mets. He won’t obviously stay below a 3 ERA, but while teams try to figure him out, he could coast to a solid 1st half.
Jarrod Washburn – 5 1/3 IP, 6 ER. Looks like someone let my Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell get in their head.
Joakim Soria & Brandon Morrow – Both have sore shoulders that – for now – are just day-to-day. (Soria + Morrow = Sorrow?) Morrow seems ready to go for next game where Soria might be due back middle of next week. Might be worth playing Aardsma and Juan Cruz in deep leagues or if you need saves.
Derrek Lee – Removed because of neck spasms. When you’re batting .197, you’re snapping your neck from the pitcher to the catcher a lot.
Ross Ohlendorf – Outdueled Peavy to go to 2-2 with a 3.24 ERA. We really want to root for a guy with such a fun last name to say but his crazy low K rate (10 K in 25 IP) hints at a pitcher who’ll get flogged sooner vs. later and often vs. seldom.
Aaron Laffey – Won his 2nd game this week since being called up from the minors. He’s far from a K guy but he is throwing a lot of ground balls right now. Consider him for spot starts but he’s more likely to earn a full-time spot this year on a Razzball staff right now vs. a real fantasy baseball staff (real fantasy baseball staff – is that an oxymoron?)
Armando Galarraga – Now at 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA. Guess the fact we named him #1 most risky pitcher motivated him or something. He’s K-ing nearly a guy an inning which is above last years 6.35/9 IP rate. We haven’t flipped positions on him just yet but getting there.
Shawn Hill – To the 15-day DL. Hmm… maybe he’s part Drew?
Chris Ray – Sherrill won’t see saves in back-to-back games according to the O’s. Then again, according to the O’s they have a major league pitching staff.
Adam Jones – 3-for-4, HR and 1st steal of the year. The steals will come and the power will continue. He’s not a sell candidate, unless you’re against Prop 420.
Tags: Aaron Laffey, Adam Jones, Adam LaRoche, andy sonnanstine, Armando Galarraga, B.J. Upton, Brandon Morrow, Brandon Webb, Brian McCann, Cameron Maybin, Chris Getz, Chris Ray, Clayton Kershaw, Conor Jackson, Derrek Lee, fantasy baseball, Jake Peavy, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jarrod Washburn, Jered Weaver, Joakim Soria, Jordan Zimmermann, Jose Valverde, Justin Masterson, Justin Upton, Kenshin Kawakami, Manny Parra, Mark Reynolds, Pablo Sandoval, Ross Ohlendorf, Shawn Hill, Stephen Drew
April 27th, 2009 at 12:20 am
I traded Ryan Franklin, Armando Galarraga, and Felipe Lopez for Alex Rios. Good trade or not? It’s a 10 team keeper and I still have Peavy, Hamels, Felix, Liriano, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Javier Vazquez, Wandy Rod, Scherzer, Morrow, Mike Gonzalez, and Ziegler whereas my OF was Soriano, Nelson Cruz, Upton, Maybin, Felipe Lopez in this 5 OF league.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:22 am
Oh and I picked up Adam LaRoche and Edwin Jackson to fill my roster.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:34 am
So it turns out my idea of streaming Pelfrey and Ohlendorf would have both worked out… Oh well, instead I followed Grey’s advice and picked up Holland, then dropped Delcarmen (this is a 16-team holds league) and picked up Hughes. Holland had a good game, and Hughes has now been recalled to pitch on Tuesday vs the Tigers.
If Hughes has a good game on Tuesday, I see a fruity drink in Grey’s future!
April 27th, 2009 at 1:02 am
@Spaceman.Spiff: Great trade for you in my opinion — sold off parts you don’t need, including one part (Galarraga) who I’m convinced cannot keep this up. His strand rate is 88% and while his K-rate is up, he’s still walking too many guys. I foresee a dropoff. Meanwhile, you picked up a #2 OF and another hitter who’s better than Lopez in LaRoche. Good stuff.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:25 am
what do you think about this one:
i give Prince, Gallarraga, and Dukes to get Miggy Cabrera
I need a 3B and have Votto to start at 1B, Dukes is a bench guy, and Gallarraga I picked up Sat
April 27th, 2009 at 2:39 am
now that i look at it…it doesn’t look like enough for miggy…uuugghh, i am frustrated with th 3b position being manned by f lopez
April 27th, 2009 at 3:01 am
Need a 2B to spell the currently Razztastic Kelly Johnson:
Callaspo
Barmes
Fontenot
Schumaker
My team (5×5 12-team roto) has so many needs, it’s unfair to lumber any of these schmohawks with that level of responsibility.
Who do you like?
April 27th, 2009 at 3:29 am
What do you guys think about this:
It’s a league with 3 starting OF. I already have Manny, Matt Kemp and Ryan Braun (they all were Keepers). Late in the draft i took Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz. I need to upgrade my Infield, but i can’t work out a deal i really like, with Adam Jones or Nelson Cruz. So question is, should i trade one of the big three? I’m not sure if Cruz and Jones can be solid enough for a complete season as starter.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:02 am
Should we be truing to move J Zimm for some really useful parts, before the league catches up with him?
April 27th, 2009 at 4:24 am
I am trying to work out this trade : Dukes, JayZ and Corpas for Ethier, Scott Shields and Rauch (Don´t know why he is owning last two as we don´t count holds).
My other relievers are Valverde, Qualls, Bell and Downs. Is that too much for Ethier? I could really use some dependable LF.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:28 am
@Christopher:
I am already trying to ship him pronto. His next two starts are against Cards and Dodgers and as much as I like him I don´t think Nats lineup can keep getting wins for him and he would eventually see that truth about Nats sloppy hitters and start being nauseous.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:34 am
dropped maybin in a 14 team. maybe(in) next year?
April 27th, 2009 at 4:40 am
there was this trade that went on in my league: Peavy + Youk + Abreu for Johan Santana and Prince. I figure the team getting Johan and Prince won big. Your opinion?
April 27th, 2009 at 4:47 am
@Zebo: pretty even…. the prince/johan side is getting the better overall talent, but the other side is getting 3 nice pieces, plus a 3B which i think YOUK is the best part, i dont like YOUK, but third is rough to fill with a quality player….
April 27th, 2009 at 4:49 am
J Z(to the double NN) has got two tough starts coming, including a red hot Cards club. A gambler always plays the hot streak to continue, not to end. Start Him!
I had Bruce on my bench still wondering if this a hot streak or a anomaly, sonavabench! He’s heading to the starting lineup for tonight’s home game versus Houston. Stay hot young man.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:05 am
I just gave up Lowell in a trade, but I must say I’m happy to have Andy LaRoche right now. I just want to see a couple homers sometime soon. In a deep league, he might be fairly valuable if he can finally break out.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:07 am
Should I drop rafael soriano or street for Salty? I have Naps, and plan on platooning them fools. I am weak in saves, with Hanrahan, street/corpas, soriano, and BJ Ryan.
Thanks!
April 27th, 2009 at 5:07 am
@Grey: Pick 2 – Gardner, Bonafacio, Barmes for this week.
Also, does Masterson get another start this week? If so, worth using at TB in 15 team league? Other option is Casilla, who I feel like me be safer?
April 27th, 2009 at 5:10 am
@Grey: Sorry, 2 more – start Marshall home vs. Florida in 12 team league?
And pick 3 – Gardner, Josh Anderson, Krispie Young (who has been killing me) or Adam LaRoche?
Thanks
April 27th, 2009 at 5:13 am
Despite a start even worse than Drew’s, is Tulo worth a #1 waiver priority? I have Kinsler and Alexei already rostered & Weeks as Stephen’s temp. fill-in. If Tulo & the other two underachievers (Alexei & Drew) soon find their stroke, having all four top middle infielders would be sweet. But if they still can’t put the bat on the ball I’d have wasted an advantageous waiver priority and be stuck with the continued slow starts of Alexei, Drew AND Troy Tulo!…Thanks for the help.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:14 am
Which side would you all want of this trade? Crisp and Hafner for Morgan and Stewart. Deep league.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:20 am
Owners in one of my league are giving up on all their catchers. Napoli, Ianetta, and Ramon Hernandez are out there. I’ve been playing Baker for his high average, but should I look to replace him with one of those 3, or just sit tight. Baker is helping at the moment. Head-to-head league, so cold starts are losing people games.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:39 am
@Grey: Jered Weaver or Randy Johnson?
April 27th, 2009 at 5:54 am
@Josh: I would grab Ianetta. Salty’s heating up, too.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:13 am
got peavy and hammels in 12 team latin 9,im an 11 in whip and 8 in era,hopefully i weathered the storm,i gotta ridem out now unless something awesome comes my way
April 27th, 2009 at 6:22 am
@Christopher – The league might not catch up to Zimmerman all that quickly. He is a stud. He now has 1/2 of the Nats wins. David Wright went 0-4, with 3 K’s. (Although to be honest, Wright is not exactly tearing the league up.) Even if he doesn’t get wins, his K’s, ERA and WHIP should be quite helpful. Interesting- the only Nats worth owning are both named Zimmerman.
I hope that Dice K takes his time coming back from his Tired Arm Syndrome. Masterson handled the Yankees easily. He certainly doesn’t deserve a trip back to the minors, nor thrust back into long relief. Also, the Bosox bullpen is loaded.
Interesting factoid – the two SS/2B run producing combos are Jeter/Cano, and Aaron Hill/Scutaro. Cano is back to form, and is among the elite 2B once again.
@Grey – Great rundown, as always. Two questions – Is Derrick Lee through, and if so, should he be sold for whatever you may get in return? And is Brandon Wood worth holding on to. He did start yesterday, going 1-4
April 27th, 2009 at 6:23 am
@rich: same here man, ya play bruce he sucks, you bench him he goes yard, i’ve had ONE of his 5HR’s count for me in my H2H league!
and i drop some smuck, pick up salty and loved getting his 2-4 on sunday, but not at the expense of benching PABLO who jacks two dongs and goes 4-4? I can’t win! SONOVABENCHHHHH!!!
April 27th, 2009 at 6:34 am
@rich – After Bruce hits his first dinger, ALWAYS start him the next day. He is a streak home-run hitter; hopefully this stretch will go on for awhile.
@AL-KOHOLIC – Peavy and Hamels are both worrisome at this point. I have Sabathia, who is not pitching well either, but warm weather seems to be the ticket for him. However, if you want to unload Peavy, I have a team full of Schmohawks to choose from!
@ron mexico’s papi – Weaver for sure.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Which of these 3 would you prefer this week:
Masterson @ TB
Ubaldo @ SF
Porcello vs. NYY
April 27th, 2009 at 6:38 am
Last week, I dealt Heath Bell for Hunter Pence in what I considered an absolute no-brainer. It was the right move to make, but it left me with only Chad Qualls at closer. I have Brandon Inge currently as my starting catcher. I’m not naive enough to think he’s a .300 hitter, but he does seem a little more disciplined at the plate thus far (much improved BB/K ratio. Even if he hits .245 with 22 HRs, that’s not a bad value at catcher — it’s pretty much what I figured Mike Napoli would be if he actually saw full-time duty. SO… Would you try to trade Geovany Soto or Brandon Inge for a closer? If yes, which one? Please advise. Thanks as always.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:44 am
@Eric H.: so you’re gonna make a steal for hunter then give someone else a steal for a closer back?
hmmmm doesn’t make sense….
April 27th, 2009 at 6:50 am
Eric H: I’d just pick up a closer off the waiver wire and keep your catchers.
April 27th, 2009 at 7:04 am
I know it’s a long season but after three weeks in my 12 Team 5 x 5 Keeper League – I am first in pitching and last in hitting. I feel like I should do something before the gap gets too big to close. I need the most help in Avg, HRs and Runs. My worst under performing hitters are Billy Butler, Kelly Johnson, Randy Winn, Brett Gardner, Del. Young, Fred Lewis……. Which of these guys do you think can turn things around………. ? The best available free agents are probably Ross, Teahen, Asdrubal Cabrera , Dan Murphy, Juan Rivera & Endy Chavez. Should I drop one or more of my under performers to pick up one of these guys, if so, which ones?
Also drop Parra for Derek Holland or Jason Frasor?? (I’m thinking yes…….. )
April 27th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Oswalt and Bell for Johan a good trade ( I am getting the Johan side)
April 27th, 2009 at 7:23 am
@I’m Keith Hernandez: Modified it to Russell Martin, Johan, Furcal for Oswalt, Bell and Sandoval
April 27th, 2009 at 7:34 am
@ron mexico – Weaver
@Eric H. – I’m in a 12 team, H2H league and drafted one closer late (Qualls). I now have Rodney, Downs & Franklin too, all off the waiver wire. I wouldn’t trade for a closer. Just pay attention to what’s going on and pick them up as they come to you. They will come.
April 27th, 2009 at 7:48 am
@I’m Keith Hernandez: If you’re getting the Johan side that’s highway robbery. Click accept now and hope it gets through!
April 27th, 2009 at 8:24 am
I was offered Aaron Hill for Kevin Slowey. I’m killer with pitching (top 3 in each category) and have Andrus at MI right now. Thoughts?
April 27th, 2009 at 8:38 am
@Eric H.: I’d try to get someone like Valverde for Soto.
As a Cubs fan, I’m very worried about Soto. Word is, he’s overweight, still getting used to the season after his time in the WBC and his shoulder is much more serious than he’s letting on. I’d trade him before he becomes the next Cubs starter to go down on the DL.
April 27th, 2009 at 8:39 am
so I wake up this morning, proposing a variety of trades involving Brandon Inge to Doumit and McCann owners, trying to upgrade from Derrek Lee to something more useful, and Yahoo has this little ticker next to Inge’s name, saying:” Inge has been tremendous in the early going, hitting .323 with seven homers and 17 RBI while reaching base in all 18 games. We wouldn’t be surprised if Inge had a career year, but his current pace is unsustainable. Now would be the time to sell high.”
– And this pretty much removes all possibilities of me actually selling high. Thanks so much, Yahoo!
April 27th, 2009 at 8:41 am
My team’s performing well right now despite Upton, Rios, and Ortiz killing me in average and OPS… Upton and Rios will come around right? Ortiz not so much? Adam Jones is tearing it up on my bench, should I put him in the OF and bench Upton until he figures it out? Or try to dump Ortiz and put Jones in the utility spot?
Also I have Guthrie and Baker going tonight…I’m tempted to sit them both…thoughts?
April 27th, 2009 at 8:44 am
You buying Homer Bailey’s 15 K?
April 27th, 2009 at 8:48 am
@I’m Keith Hernandez: i doubt he bites on the martin,johan and furcal one,the 1st one is a fairer trade and id want johan there by far,
April 27th, 2009 at 8:50 am
How about Flores to replace McCann?
April 27th, 2009 at 8:52 am
@JaHerer: get jones in.which upton?,if you can get anything usefull for ortiz id sell
April 27th, 2009 at 8:52 am
And should I drop Street for Hawkins?
April 27th, 2009 at 8:54 am
so Spillborough hit 3rd yesterday?
i dropped him a week ago, time to maybe grab him back up? he’s hitting .295, had a couple good games in a row… Is the line up spot gonna stick, him batting 3rd in COL, WOW, could = a nice line….
go tulo way to keep underperforming!
@Spaceman.Spiff: I’d want Rios there.
@Steve: KJ, hold tight.
@Bob from Germany: Trade one of the big three.
@anoraxx: Sounds fine for Ethier.
@johnson21: No, I wouldn’t hold a 2nd catcher.
@Harley: Your comment’s confusing… Masterson, Krispie, Gardner, LaRoche, if I understood it right.
@zombie: I’d want Tulo.
@Tom: Crisp side.
@Josh: Hold, unless you need power.
@ron mexico’s papi: Weaver
@Paulie Allnuts: Wood is not worth holding onto. Lee shouldn’t be sold for anything.
@Ian: Ubaldo, Masterson, Porcello, in that order.
@Eric H.: Is this a 2 catcher league? How deep?
@Euroalien: I wouldn’t drop Parra. Then besides Lewis and Johnson, I’d drop all of those hitters Billy Butler, Randy Winn, Brett Gardner and Del. Young — gone. I’d rotate hot hands in. Also, there’s no way you can compete with the outfield you’ve assembled in a 12 team league. If you’re pitching’s that good, trade it for some outfield.
@IowaCubs: I’d want Hill.
@Zebo: Ha!
@JaHerer: Trade Ortiz, Jones to UT.
@JR: What do I have to buy them?
@AB: Sure, he’s a name to look at.
I’d hold Street for now.
April 27th, 2009 at 8:56 am
@AL KOHOLIC: He’s benched furcal, and Martin is doing terrible, so that was my thinking and he has only Downs and hawkins getting him saves. He doesn’t give me any feedback so it’s hard to tell what he wants.
April 27th, 2009 at 8:57 am
@JR: i live in louisville and have watched the hype disapear,even after returning to the minors his numbers are average at best,if he puts like 3 real good starts in a row then ill get reinterested.the reds should have traded him when he was worth something
April 27th, 2009 at 8:57 am
@JaHerer: I would bench Upton or Ortiz and play Jones, until one of those two guys shows signs of life.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:00 am
@I’m Keith Hernandez: id feed him different trades till he bites on one,but i wouldnt tick him off asking for to much.johan is a beast,dont get gready just get him
April 27th, 2009 at 9:01 am
@AL KOHOLIC: Every picture I see of that dude, you just want to knock that smirk off his face.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:03 am
It’s B.J. Upton if there was any confusion. I fit Jones in when I can but I feel like he deserves a permanent spot.
I’d trade Ortiz in a heartbeat if I could, my league is dominated by Bostonians and even they are laughing at the idea of trading for Ortiz…dropping him seems a little drastic at this point…the league is deep (12 teams, 8 bench spots) so the FAs are pretty slim.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:07 am
@Grey: Thanks, but he just countered with Slowey and Andrus for Hill. Is this still do-able? I’m really only using Andrus for Sagnof purposes.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:09 am
@Grey: Drop Dukes for Upton?
Drop either for Adam LaRoche? I am intrigued by LaRoche — typical slow-starter starting fast. Maybe he’s this year’s Huff. Then again, I have Prince and Votto, so no need for a 1Bman.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:10 am
@IowaCubs: Still worth it. Hill is legit.
.290/100/20/80/5 is a very reachable target for him. He’s not playing over his head right now.
@IowaCubs: Still grab Hill there.
@Baron Von Vulturewins: Go for Upton.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:14 am
@JaHerer: yeah im not getting any interest n my ortiz either,my alternate there is milton(cant get right)bradley,ha,talk about taking one up the ole kiester,ouch@IowaCubs: id want the slowey hill side,andrus only 2 steals,probably gets 30 i think 40 is a real reach,surely you can snag a few bags here and there
April 27th, 2009 at 9:15 am
So I know you have the Chris Davis/Mark Reynolds homerun competition..
How about we start a new one with Ellsbury, Holliday, and Abreu?
April 27th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Am I crazy to turn down an offer where I part with my Bobby Abreu for his Curtis Granderson?
It’s a standard Yahoo league where I start Russell Martin, Joey Votto, Chase Utley, Jose Reyes, Chipper Jones, Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier (Brad Hawpe on the bench), and the aforementioned Bobby Abreu. I traded Carl Crawford to get Manny which leaves with just enough speed and decent power after not having enough power and excess speed (as you can tell, it’s also a league where I didn’t start drafting pitchers until late).
I’m feeling like the smart move in a vacuum would be to pick up Grandy, but it looks to me like I might be a little too slow even with Grandy’s 15 or so steals. It looks like Abreu will have 15 steals by the end of May.
So I return to my thesis question, am I crazy to turn down Grandy for Bobby Abreu?
April 27th, 2009 at 9:19 am
@IowaCubs: my bad misunderstood the trade either way id listen to grey
@Baron Von Vulturewins: BTW, I’m only saying that because your outfield is so shallow in your league. I trust Dukes more, but I think Upton is hotter right now and can offer bigger upside.
@Ashley: Ha! Good idea.
@Bob: I don’t think you’re crazy. They’ll probably end up around the same place as far as value at the end of the year. Grandy has more upside, but also more downside. Abreu is headed for another 15/25 season.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Baby’s first comment:
Give Chris Davis to get Aaron Hill? I’ll be fine at 1st & 3rd without Davis, and I’m cruelly running Placido Polanco out there every day and then complaining when he plays like Placido Polanco. Or is this a no-brainer?
@Johnnie LeMaster: I’d try to give something smaller for Hill. Davis seems like too much.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:29 am
@Grey: Thanks. Sometimes I think I get too wrapped up in trying to look “smart” and not enough time in going with the best players for my particular situation.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:36 am
@Grey: You think that Abreu’ll end up with only 25 steals? It seems like they’re sending him every time he’s on base.
@Bob: No problem.
@IowaCubs: Is he going to get 40? I gotta think at some point, he’s going to slow down a bit.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:39 am
@Grey: Damn you and your common sense!
April 27th, 2009 at 9:44 am
@Grey: Is EJax a start tomorrow?
April 27th, 2009 at 9:45 am
I dropped Kershaw. He’s too much Cueto (last year) and not Cueto (this year).
I replaced him with Masterson, which I’ll probably regret.
@IowaCubs: Nope
@Joel: Yeah, I don’t like that move.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:51 am
@Grey: Thanks.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Start Guthrie against the Rangers? He’s been utterly razztastic, lately.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:58 am
How long before Matt LaPorta gets the call up because trip A looks like a waste of his time.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:59 am
I have #1 waiver.
Kendrick was just dropped, I have Uggla at 2B (so Kendrick will become a bench player). Is this the spot to use my priority?
I will be dropping Emilio Slap-yer-face-io.
It’s the ultimate question for me right now: Keep the upside player or nab the trade bait?
April 27th, 2009 at 10:02 am
@Grey: What should we expect from Vlad. He is utterly disappointing, but I dont want to let him sit as a FA for someone else to grab if he is going to perform later.
I have a stacked OF already.
@Johnnie LeMaster: No problem.
@vinko: Nope
@Eric W: Maybe June
@Falcon: I wouldn’t get Kendrick. Vlad may not be back for a month and a half to two months and when he returns he may not be that great.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:07 am
hey hippo,noticed your standing atop the originall league,early in the year or not,id rather be sitting pretty than banking on slow starters to pull me from the depths of no return,you snagged morgan for some good steals and added dunn for power,keep it up,but wheres stevo?like to see him get a little rivalry going with you,im currently 1 point from 3rd(im in 4th)but im liking the way things are going,got hammels,peavy,hoffman and downs just getting going,L`Atelier has slid a bit from leading the master standings last week but its going to take a while if i plan on catching him,hope for a hanson and holland splash to help me soon
April 27th, 2009 at 10:15 am
@Grey: Thanks for the follow-up. Those are my thoughts as well. As a 4th to stash behind Bruce, Dye and VWells (surprisingly not bad so far; leading my team in runs with 17R, and 3 SB to boot), I like Upton over Dukes.
My league is shallow enough that all the young guns –Maybin, Fowler, JUpton — are out there for the taking.
UPDATE: Someone just ash-canned Ian Stewart. I think I’ll jump on that action pronto. I love me some Ian Stewart.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:16 am
@Grey: p.s No love today for the Bruce? 4 donks in the last week. He seems to double or donk every other at-bat.
The monster season is only now starting, folks. When I say Jay, you say Bruce.
Jay!
Jay!
Jay!
April 27th, 2009 at 10:23 am
@Baron Von Vulturewins: As much as I like a cold Bruceski a hot one is even better.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:24 am
@Baron Von Vulturewins: bruce bruce bruce….
i hope you’re right baron, if you haven’t read it before, I GUARANTEED 30 PLUS DONGERS IN MY BIG MONEY LEAGUE, I LOVE STARTING A LITTLE SMACK TALKAGE!
April 27th, 2009 at 10:29 am
if im thinking of punting steals in a weird 7×7 league should i offer
martin, reyes, and burrell for iannetta, tulo, and josh hamilton? or am i a tard? thx in advance
April 27th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Wait, wasn’t Cameron Maybin a “buy” just a few weeks ago?
And Adam LaRoche’s upside is higher than Cantu’s. Adam once hit 30 home runs in basically a five month season, given that he takes April off every year. He has a realistic shot at 35 dingers.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Guys, do you consider Bell a sell high type of player? I mean considering the fact he is closing for Padres who are clearly overachieving at the moment.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:33 am
@matt dubya: why are you punting steals with reyes going to get you 60+
April 27th, 2009 at 10:34 am
@Eric W: Too true, sir. Too true.
@Tony: I think he gets there. He may hit .260, but he should get to 30 donks. A couple of more two-fers like last night will go a long way toward cementing it.
@Joel: Dangerous. Go back and look at Cole Hamels first few starts when he came up in 2006. He alternated good ones with brutal ones — until he put it all together in a 5.1 IP, 12K outing against the Braves.
After that, he was money.
Kershaw needs to turn a corner, but my bet is he does it in the next month, not next season. If he was dropped in my league I’d snap him up.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Reading all these posts makes me thinK,” Who are these owners willing to give up on players 3 weeks in?”
Anywho……Grey I am officially on the Salty bandwagon. I followed your advice with the oft-injured Doumit now its Salty time!
Jered Weaver’s whip will be bloated come the end of May, it looks like he’s pressing a bit much.
@matt dubya: Without knowing what you mean by weird, hard to say, but I don’t think that’s inherently a good move.
@Joe Morgan sucks: Yeah, guys change from a buy to a sell all the time. Especially fringe fantasy starters.
@anoraxx: Nah, he’s a closer. Look at Wilson last season. Bell could get 35 to 40 saves.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:08 am
@Baron Von Vulturewins: I gotta use the phrase “ass-canned” sometime today in a sentence.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:10 am
@Baron Von Vulturewins: I meant to say “ash-canned.” My bad.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:11 am
@Grey: You’d even sit EJax at home against Wang and the Yankees? Okay.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Just got Liriano for Bell. On the Liriano bandwagon now! Sometimes you gotta roll the hard six.
@IowaCubs: What Wang?
@I’m Keith Hernandez: Nice!
April 27th, 2009 at 11:18 am
What type of pitcher should I target if I was to trade H.Bell? Could I get Shields? Beckett with something else thrown in? aiming too high?
What about if I shop Qualls? (I’ve got Lidge, Bell, Qualls and Franklin to shop).
April 27th, 2009 at 11:19 am
@IowaCubs: Ass-canned is better.
@IowaCubs: I’m sitting him. I think its Hughes pitching.
@I’m Keith Hernandez: I second that. Congrats! Now go forth and find ye the next Bell. Is it Juan Cruz? Maybe.
@BabyBeluga: Shields, Beckett or Liriano… Any of those.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:34 am
@Baron Von Vulturewins: luckily I am already at 19 saves. So far I have traded Broxton and Bell away. Holding steady with Qualls, Ziegler and Hanrahan and Chris Ray and R. Soriano stashed away. These comments are great for running and grabbing closers. Be cool if we could actually set up an email alert for closers.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Who do you like more in a roto keeper: Justin Upton or Travis Snider. Actually, neither of them would probably be keepers on my roster this year, but still… who do you like?
April 27th, 2009 at 11:37 am
Need an OF, Matt Cain for Granderson… thanks!!!!
@bobbo: Upton
@Billy: That’s fair for Grandy.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:42 am
@Grey: Thanks for the quick response… someone actually just dropped Krispie. You like him over J. Upton (my league is 6×6 and has both AVG and OBP)?
@bobbo: I want Krispie.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:45 am
no day games sucks,my fantasy brain is raring to go@Grey: does it look like kaz matsui is going to play today?
April 27th, 2009 at 11:49 am
@Grey: Damn, thats what I was thinking too. I just wish that some day he’d figure things out and put it all together. The allure is intoxicating (yet the results are agonizing)!
April 27th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Are you touching Verlander against the yankees with a ten-foot pole? How about a fourteen-team mixed pole where your ratios are in bad shape?
@AL KOHOLIC: Don’t know yet.
@cubbies299: Nope
April 27th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Grey or anyone:
Would you do a Cain/Wandy Rodriguez/Inge/Fred Lewis for a John Baker/Wieters/Hamels/Cueto trade? (I receive the group with Hamels)
April 27th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
An addition to my previous question:
Wandy/Cueto part can be taken out.
@Eric C.: I’d want the Hamels side, but I’d remove the Wandy/Cain part. Also, I had to change your username b/c Eric is taken. If you’d like something else, go for it.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I traded Malholm for Bruce last Sunday…I didn’t want to brag, but now I can’t help myself…it’s not really fair though when you’re a Jedi…”Malholm is thier ACE!” (hand sweeps gracefully across the horizon)
April 27th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
@Grey: Thanks Grey, but I still have to trade a pitcher to get Hamels
. (Unless you meant to say Cueto and not Cain)
Scenario 1
I trade away: Brandon Inge/Fred Lewis/Matt Cain
I get: John Baker/Matt Wieters/Cole Hamels
Scenario 2
Same deal but I add Wandy to get Cueto.
@danimal35: Ha!
@Eric C.: First, you need to put a period after the C, otherwise your comments will sit in moderation.
Scenario 1 is the one I meant.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
@Grey: Thanks! Sorry about the period mistake!
April 27th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
F Lopez/Galarraga/Broxton for J-Roll/Price ???
April 27th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
^^^even if i already have han ram?? to use as a util or trade chip in the future…i have three other closers so i’m not worried about that
@Eric C.: No problem.
@danimal35: I’d want Rollins.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Grey: Got any sleepers for holds w/ decent ratios? I drafted Shields, Balfour, and Wheeler. They’re killing me!
@bobbo: Bailey, Frasor, Meredith…
April 27th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Hey, is Beltre buy low or just plain low?
Also, would you trade Tulo for Drew given Tulo’s slumping so bad that Drew on the 15-day DL might actually be an upgrade for the time being?
April 27th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I was curious about who’s been lucky and unlucky so far for some buy low/sell high ideas, so I did a little research on fangraphs. I figured this could be useful to others as well.
Min. 50 PAs
Lowest BABIP (look for the AVG to go up): Zaun, Byrnes, Berkman (.171), Rollins (.172), Encarnacion (.175), McCann (.176), Tulo (.176), Alex Gonzalez, Hardo (.178), Quentin (.184), Phillips (.184)
Highest BABIP (due to come back down to earth): F.Lewis (.543), Youk (.490), Flores, Votto (.469), Beltran (.464), B.anderson, Markakis (.441), Asdrubal, Abreu (.426), F.Sanchez, B.Roberts (.415)
Highest HR/FB (expect the HR pace to slow for most of these): Young (42%), Adrian Gonzalez (35%; career 16.5%), Quentin (32%; 21% last year), C.Davis (31%; 21% last year), Thome (31%; career 28%), Inge (30%; career 10%), Reynolds (29%; career 18%), Dye, Pena, Jeter, Overbay, Branyan, Fukudome, Uggla, Tulo
Highest LD% (unsustainable but means they’ve made a lot of solid contact): N.Johnson, Salty, Feliz, Fields, Rolez, Blum, Teahen, Fukudome, Bartlett, Asdrubal, Castillo, Dukes, Youk, Bourn. Andy LaRoche
Highest K-Rate: C.Davis (49%!), Maybin (42), Thome (38), Dickerson (38), Upton (38), Schafer (37), Salty (37), Flores (37), F.Lewis (36), Reynolds (36), Fielder (35), Fields (34), Upton (33), DW5 (33)
@cubbies299: Beltre’s a buy low, to a certain extent. I’d want Tulo.
@jsp2014: Wow, awesome research! Thanks for that.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Would you trade Hunter Pence for Josh Hamilton?
@Eric H.: I’d want Hamilton there.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Hey, drop Fields for Flores in a league where I have Ianetta? Just until Ianneta heats up, then I drop Flores.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I know AJ Pierzinski is a schmohawk, but Yadier Molina, Laird, Shoppach, Baker, or Flores over him? 1C h2h w/ 5 pickups per week.
@cubbies299: I wouldn’t do that.
@bobbo: Baker, Shoppach, Molina, Laird over him.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
@jsp2014:
Amazing stuff. Thank you for posting that!
April 27th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
A little blurb about Papelbon on ESPN.com:
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/features/rumors
Have you guys noticed anything with him, and if so, who else in that Red Sox bullpen would you want to own? Takashi Saito perhaps?
@Eric H.: I’d own Saito.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
@Eric H.: If pap goes down I would not be surprised to see Daniel Bard take over as closer.
April 27th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Is it time to jettison Coffey, or does he still have a bit more value as a closer, left?
@vinko: Depends who you’re dropping him for. For Hawkins, Saito or Soriano? Sure. For Casilla? Then not yet.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Choo or A.Jones. Also, should i offer Capps for A.Jones if i already have valverde and broxton?
@Martin: Choo. Don’t offer Capps for either of them.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
@Grey: hanley hit on wrist,left game no other info yet
@AL KOHOLIC: Yeah, I didn’t see it. Anyone see it? Bad? Any reports?
April 27th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
@Grey: Nothing concrete but sounded painful.
Not that I ‘heard’ it of course.
http://www.seattlepi.com/scorecard/mlbnews.asp?articleID=206690
@Steve: That doesn’t sound good.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
should i add jason kubel and drop holland? Right now i only have kelly johnson on my bench. Other players i could drop for kubel are parra, j.zimm, pettite.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
@Steve: swisher hit one of his famous slumps on us here ,didnt he?
April 27th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
and what do u think of joba? He’s doing awful right now
April 27th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
ouch,anibal just got crushed by the mets
April 27th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
@AL KOHOLIC: Yeah – he seems to have gone stone cold. Not that that marks him out as anything special on either of my 2 roto teams…
@Martin: Why do you need another player on your bench? I think Joba’s going to be fine.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
@Grey: Drop Swish and give Branyan a run at CI in an OBP and Ks league?
Or does he K too much?
April 27th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Pick up Erik Boo-yrnes for Josh Fields? He’s running and the 15-20 hr upside can’t have evaporated.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
@Grey: Am I mistaken or didn’t the Yanks move Joba to the pen?
@Steve: Nah, hold tight.
@cubbies299: I’d prefer Fields.
@BigFatHippo: What year?
April 27th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
@Grey: Swear I heard it on ESPN tonight.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
12-team mixed league, start 1 catcher… currently playing Brandon Inge while Geovany Soto tries to get going.
Would you swap Soto for Ryan Doumit in this situation? Thanks.
April 27th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
@everyone… Screw it, Doumit’s out 2 months. forget that.
April 27th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
What are your projections on Marlon Byrd?
April 27th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Oh, also, do you trade Derek Holland for Chris Ray?
@cubbies299: Byrd is a 12/5/.280 guy. Yeah, I’d want Ray there.