Sometimes you just can’t trade a guy in your fantasy baseball league. For whatever reason, the rest of the teams don’t believe in your guy. Whether it’s someone who has been doing well who people aren’t sure if they’re for real (Ben Zobrist) or someone who has been struggling (Liriano), no one in your league will trade for them. You’ve tried to sell lower than even their value warrants, but no bites. So you go even lower and, before you know it, you’re trading Liriano for a VHS copy of The Secret Life of Desmond Pfeiffer. So what do you do when no one wants to give you any value for one of your guys?
Let’s look at the guys that are supposedly playing above their heads (the Zobrists). The best thing you can do with these guys is for you to trust in their value. Say you have Jeter and Zobrist, and you’re stuck benching Zobrist every day because you just don’t have room. But you really need a starter. You know Zobrist is worth a starter, but no one’s biting. So trade Jeter for a starter, who will give you value, and slot Zobrist in as your shortstop. Trust in The Zo.
Next, the guys who don’t have any value because they’re sucking wind like a burro in Machu Picchu, the Liriano case example. There’s two things you can do here. Drop them so they stop sucking the life out of your team. For instance, some might remember when I said I dropped Carmona after his first start of the year. I knew no one would trade me anything for Carmona. I also knew that people wouldn’t let him sit on waivers. Sure enough, he was picked up and dropped by countless teams in my league, i.e., he did serious damage to my opponents ERA and WHIP, not mine. ‘Natch! The other thing you can do with an underperforming player, trade them for a player that someone else can’t trade. Someone who owns Ben Zobrist and is benching them? They might consider Liriano. Someone can’t stand the sight of Stephen Drew on their team? They might take Liriano. Instead of chewing gum, chew bacon!
HAHA. I am currently discussing trading Liriano for Drew with somebody.
@adamh: Ha, nice.
Good ideas. I started shopping Garrett Atkins back in May and couldn’t get anything more than a “Ha, no thanks” reply from anyone. I waited a bit, then offered him to the owner who I noticed had been swapping CI schmohawks all year long after losing Delgado and A-Ram….he gave me Furcal in return (he had him on the bench and was playing Izturis). I figured that was a nice deal since I was swapping in SS schmohawks while waiting on Reyes.
I’ve been trying to move Chris Davis for some time now. Has anyone had any success in doing so?
@Pops: I was able to move him to the waiver wire and he only struck out twice while moving through cyberspace.
@Pops: Try shopping him as C. Davis — maybe someone will get confused and think that Chili Davis is still playing.
Grey – maybe my line of all time.
One last try, if I give Broxton, Bailey, DeRosa and JD Drew and get Ichiro, Shin-Soo, J. Lopez and Scott Baker am I giving up too much?
*favorite
I´ve been trying to shop Drew, Bruce and Pierre for like a month for literally anyone. Guess what. I didn´t even caught up the girl next door for any of them.
@Scott: Thanks for the data on Kemp, by lineup position. I won’t go into quite the nightly tizzy seeing him homer from #9 (knowing he otherwise would have k’d in the 3 hole).
@Steve (my bad).
So I just traded Jeter for Kazmir and Liriano… (I had Miggy at SS and no one was believing so I Believed!)
Do I start Kazmir this weekend??? Lirano is on my bench until he starts striking people out (I have the lead in avg/SB/Runs and ma pulling a 2 in K’s hence the trade).
Kaz has looked filthy in rehab starts… do I believe right out of the gate? I WANT TO BELIEVE.
I traded FOR Chris Davis in a long term dynasty keeper league. He cost me Antonio Bastardo.
A little bench project, if you will.
Been trying to trade Lilly, Lowell, Ludwick for a month now
And I just noticed all their names start with L, a coincidence?..I think not.
What are your thoughts on Andrew Miller, he seems like he’s starting to make corrections on his game that did him in last season. Where do you see the trend going?
Hart + Capps for Markakis – fair?
@Simply Fred: No problem. 0-3 with 2 k’s so far today out of the 5 spot.
Chipper Jones is so one of these untradeable guys. I can’t get a fair offer for him. The best I’ve gotten is Nick Johnson.
@mgeoffriau: I too was trying to move Atkins since almost day 1, not a sniff.Inge was another guy I couldn’t get rid of fast enough after his fast start,another hard sell, I felt Soto would wake up.I’m happy I kept him now,if Soto keeps rolling I can use Inge at 3rd or the corner.
Nice, 2Ks for Kemp, that will definitely convince Torre to keep him in the 5th hole. Great job, Matt, great job.
@Corey: everyones afraid of him getting hurt at any moment…. when you draft chipper you just pray for 130 games and have some type of decent back up, AND DONT PLAN TO DEAL HIM… haha
jake fox is having a solid day, worth grabbing? he got dropped last week in my league…
Or is he just getting AB’s because its a DH situation…?
Someone just offered me his Arod for my Haren. It’s a H2H league & I’m winning in pitching every week. Besides Haren I already Carpenter, Bills, Cueto, Bedard, Floyd, Kazmir. My current 3B is DeRosa. Do I buy Arod or hold tight? I’m also winning in batting most weeks, so I don’t need the bat that bad.
@anoraxx: HAHA ya i complain CONSTANTLY about where kemp hits…. down in the order, but every effff’n time he does get moved up he does NOTHING!
excuse me “up in the order”
@steamer: Do it. Haren ALWAYS has a 2nd half slide.
ahhh crap i was right in what i said the first time, dammit kemp you make me crazy…
@steamer: is it a league like mine where a wins worth like 7 pts, etc?
I’d hold on Haren, he went 8-3 last year, the era went from the 2′s to the 4′s, but if its how my one league is i’m in he’s still very valuable….
Arod is a very nice return, just hope he comes back to reality and stops pussyfooting around….
Great post, Grey. Every year, there’s a few kind of players who are untradeable:
1) Hyped but unproven prospects who struggle (Chris Davis)
2) Last-year wonders who struggle this year (Jose Cantu)
3) This-year wonders who no one believes in (Zobrist, Edwin Jackson)
4) Middle-tier craptastic pitchers (Lilly)
5) Blahtastic preseason bust-picks who are, in fact, busting (Atkins)
However, as I did with Edwin, you can probably find one guy who thinks you think you’re selling high, and he secretly believes the hype, so will actually make a trade with you for player #3.
As for 1 and 2 and 4 and 5, good luck with that.
Though I do love the strategy of trading your bust for his bust, if only to swap busts.
Is it worth keeping Pierre after Manny gets back?
I have a short bench in the league I own him,and at 2 starts a week it doesn’t make much sense.The thing is,any injury in the outfield and he’s a regular again, but nobody is going to give you anything in a trade for him.I just don’t wanna cut the guy
Alexei or Tulo for Joba? I need some starting pitching and I have Tulo,Alexi,Cano, and Hill. Any input to get some good pitchers out of these guys would be awesome
@JRT: Nope, not too much.
@jamesllegade: I’d start Kaz.
@SaltyBiscuits: I like that.
@Rick Dempsey: I’m not a fan of Miller’s. Too many walks.
@Mr. Rickey: It’s fair.
@Tony Y: DH situation.
@Baron Von Vulturewins: Thanks! Nice run down of untradeables.
@Doug Ault: I’d hold him for a week after Manny returns to see the situation, then drop him if he’s not getting the starts.
@Ant: Trade Alexei for a 2nd to 3rd tier pitcher. Think F-Her, Wainwright, Scherzer then Joba.
@Baron Von Vulturewins: how dare you call my currently best ranked pitcher craptastic! (thanks for underperforming Bills and Shields!)
@Grey: …. Who would you consider a better pickup? Blanton, Happ, or Scott Baker?
@Rick Dempsey: Baker
LMAO….just freaked out a bit when I saw the headline, “Soto failed drug test at WBC.”
Apparently he’s a toker.
@john: And Bills just pooped the bed against AJ Pierzieniskiy.
BILLINGSLEY!!!!
@Baron Von Vulturewins: Yea, I’ve been Billy Clubbed (< new term invented just for this special occasion)in pitching today
@Scott: Time to start the campaign: “What’s wrong with Torre? Get Kemp back in the 9 hole!”
Great post, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around the idea that someone with Zobrist would be open to trading him for Liriano. Zobrist-types and Liriano-types are both difficult to trade, but for opposite reasons. The Zobrist-holder would be trying to sell high on his uncertain commodity, while the Liriano-holder would be trying to get anything of value for his damaged goods. I can see a damaged-goods for damaged-goods swap, but damaged-goods for sell-high doesn’t quite seem to fit.
@Simply Fred: I’m developing a theory about Torre that postulates that his encroaching senility has led him to believe that he’s still managing the Yankees, and that he fills out his lineup card accordingly. To take an example box score from June 3rd, consider the actual lineup, and then the corresponding Yankees in parentheses.
LF Pierre (Damon)
SS Furcal (Jeter)
1B Loney (Teixeira)
3B Blake (A Rod)
RF Ethier (Swisher)
C Martin (Posada)
CF Kemp (Gardner/Cabrera)
2B Castro (Cano)
P Billingsley
I figure somewhere around the 8 or 9 spot, he suddenly realizes he’s managing the Dodgers and not the Yankees, but by then he’s too worn out to start over, so he just leaves the first part of the lineup and fills in the last spot with the pitcher.
Tell me this theory doesn’t make at least as much sense as any other explanation for batting Kemp 7th and 8th all year.
@mgeoffriau: Would have thought you nailed it if Steve hadn’t revealed Kemp’s performance by batting order position. The lower he goes the better he performs and makes Joe smile.
@Dingo: Me thinky it makes sense, but it might not. Tell me if you’re still having a hard time figuring it out. I’ll have mgeoffriau explain.
@mgeoffriau: BTW, what planet are you from? Lineup comparison scary aligned.
@Tony Y: @Grey: Fox did play 3B yesterday and actually made a couple good plays. He’s played LF too when Soriano needed a “mental break”. That said, he looked like Sandoval playing SS during one play at third that Aramis could have made in his sleep and he’s DH today. The guy can hit, but without an every day job, it’s a stretch for 12-team or shallower.
My Ludwick and F-Cord for his Victorino?..h2h, my other OF are Rios, Markakis and my remaining closers/pseudo-closers are Aardsma, Howell and Meyer
@john: Good in theory, but not crazy about it for you. Victorino coupled with Rios and Markakis leaves a bit of a power vacuum. Unless you have solid cornermen.
@Grey: I have Reynolds and Fielder as my corner men, Hill at 2B and Greene filling in at SS for now..I still would prefer to get more of a power OF but I don’t think there is much of anything I can trade for, at least not until Aramis comes back at which point maybe I can trade him or Reynolds for one
Thank you Dr. Nick Riviera.
@john: I’d take Victorino there. You can cover with Fielder and Reynolds, then Aramis.
@Boss Hogg: Hehe
@Grey: Yes, I hope so. But I’d be happy to just get Ludwick off my team…I didn’t like him last year, yet owned for a month or so, and I didn’t like him this year, yet find myself owning him again.
They are reporting that Michael Jackson has died.
@Doc: Isn’t that Farrah Fawcett?
@Grey: So in the law of threes that closes off what Ed McMahon started, right?
@Doc: I’m watching CNN rigth now. The haven’t said he’s dead.
@Grey: TMZ did. For what that’s worth.
http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/25/michael-jackson-dies-death-dead-cardiac-arrest/
10 team H2H, need Avg. and runs and would love to get Ichiro or someone similar at the top of the lineup. My only leadoff type guy is Victorino until Reyes gets back.
Looks like his owner needs pitching, which is where I’m stacked (good draft and a couple trades). And I can also throw in an OF if necessary since I have Manny coming back in a week. Here’s my pitchers and OFs:
Josh Johnson, Yovani, Cain, CC, Oswalt, Joba, Jurrjens, Scherzer
Abreu, Victorino, J Upton, Cruz, Hart
Where does a Scherzer + Abreu for Ichiro sit? I’d prefer not to involve Josh or Yovani.
@Doc: Wow
@EJ: I don’t think Scherzer/Abreu’s going to do it. Maybe Justin/Scherzer?
@Grey: I have 4 closers in a 16 team H2H – Bell, Sherrill, Howell, Frasor. What would be the right return to expect for Howell + Frasor? Scott Baker/Gavin Floyd type? Or should I sit tight and take the saves they give me?
@Grey: Knowing TMZ’s journalistic integrity I’m waiting until I hear something from CNN or the like.
@Mike: Baker is a good target there. Maybe Scherzer? Maybe Lowe? Maybe Lilly?
@Doc: CNN reports “Taken to hospital w/cardiac arrest.”
@Doc: LA Times is saying coma.
@Simply Fred: Actually, LA Times is now saying he’s dead. Wow.
@Doc:
@Grey:
so , tim lincecum can officially keep “the freak” as a nickname ?
@big o: Ha
He’s been struck by….
A smooth cardiac………………
Kemp 0-6 with 4 K’s. Ugh and Argh
@BigFatHippo: wow..i’d say waaay too soon, but it made me laugh so i’d be a hypocritical bastard instead of just a bastard
@john: Sorry, but I can’t help wondering if there’ll be a Jackson 4 Reunion Tour………
@Grey: Are there any big Micheal Jackson fans playing tonite? I was thinking I should bench them, it might mess with their game
so apropos…i was offered liriano for bruce. is good?
@Doug Ault:
never heard of fantasy tee-ball .
@BigFatHippo: Ha!
@jesse: I’d take Bruce.
@BigFatHippo: I think what we really need to be concerned with is if the Thriller video will turn into reality…choreographed dead zombies with Jackson as their leader? God Help Us All
michael are you ok? are you ok? are you ok michael?
@john: Ha, as long as they’re not after my kids I’d be down with that.
@Grey: On to baseball….
Fantasy baseball takes no vacation. In the last week in the RCL, I have acquired Pierre/Kazmir for Franklin then acquired Pence/Bruce/Wainwright for Dunn/Bourn/ Kazmir.
This makes it essentially Pence/Bruce/Pierre/Wainwright for Dunn/Bourn/Franklin.
Win or “eh”? Am thinking eh, since I have Ibanez coming back.
@Denys: Awesome!
Slowey @ STL tomorrow?
one more: i guess his heart just beat it.
@Denys: @BigFatHippo: ..i’m pretty sure we’re all going to hell
@john: window seat please!
@Denys: lol, fine but you’re buyin my headset for the movie
@john: speaking of movies. wonder who’ll play mike in movie about his life… you know hollywood just can’t wait to cash in on this somehow.
@Denys: First: Omar Epps, then Johnny Depp………..
@BigFatHippo: Hahah, those are exactly the same two actors I was gonna say…with Gary Coleman playing the young Jackson
@BigFatHippo: Looks like you did pretty decent.
@Denys: Well played.
@Grey: Now the guy doesn’t want Ludwick, I wish he’d make up his mind…I assume Lowell/F-Cord or Soto/F-Cord for Victorino are better deals in your mind?…Iannetta is on the ww if it comes to that
watching the game to see if smoltz will survive his 1st outing ,
but , this curly-Q “W” that is the nats logo is a little too pansy-ish ,
and detracts from the game .
wonder if frank howard would have worn it .
@john: They are better, yeah.
@big o: Smoltzy doesn’t look like he’s going to get a curly-Q W.
EDIT: Word.
@Grey: To an extent, worried about Pierre’s playing time and Bruce upside.
Ie; Think Pierre gets traded? Does Bruce bat at least .250 in the 2nd half? Is Bourn a .290 hitter? The deal hinges on these factors.
@BigFatHippo: Agreed. If those are all answered in the positive, then the deal works out great for you, but there are some ifs.
I am desperate for power. I know most believe that Rios will come around but I am starting to doubt. I have Hardy at SS. What if I could get Bruce and S. Drew for Rios. Am I going to wish I had kept Rios? Other guy has Tejada and is willing to trade Drew.
@Grey: Remember…..
If if’s and but’s were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry fu^*#ng christmas…………..
@Robert: I’d take Drew and Bruce for Rios.
@BigFatHippo: Nice
@Grey: I think it was just a case of the examples you were using. If it were a player who seemed to be more unlucky than bad, then I’d see the reason to trade a flash-in-the-pan for an underperformer. But Liriano looks like he’s been both unlucky and bad this year.
Meanwhile, the Zobrist I have come to know and love has finally returned. Thank you, Tony Bastard!
@john: Awkward Michael Jackson moment of the day:
My office has a Trivia Night thing going on in the conference room, while I’ve been “working” at my cubicle. After reading about Michael’s demise, I stopped in on the Trivia to grab a slice of pizza. While I was there, the Trivia MC asked a question and put on a song to mark the time for group deliberation. The song? “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough.” I asked the group nearest to me if the MC had put on the song as a tribute, and I got a bunch of blank stares. Nobody in the room had heard the news, including the MC. It was fun to watch the news spread from group to group, accompanied by shouts of “Really?” “Are you serious?” (with Michael singing in the background).
trade jobacum for bruce?
@Dingo: That’s a tremendous story.
@Wizo: If you need an outfielder, sure. But you might be able to get better with Jobacum.
Cain and Choo Choo for Lackey and Rios? I think I’m going for it.
It’s pretty pathetic that the most reliable media outlet for MJ news is TMZ. They called it way before the supposed more “reliable” sources. ABC had a story on the Real Housewives of New Jersey porn tape! Who the hell cares about some sex tape! Wait……… I’m gonna investigate.
Votto is 3-for-3 with two singles and a double and 2 RBI. I tried buying low, but nobody wanted to give him up. Oh well, it’s good to see him back at it.
@Sucklingduck: Ha! That deal’s real close. Not a huge win in your favor.
Brilliant post, Grey
@Dingo: haha, wow..you shoulda said “Apparently, Michael got enough.” right as you walked into the room
Derek Lowe owner here. It hurts to sit down.
desperate for starters this week … contreras v. cubs or Hammel at Oakland?
drop qualls for frasor, gonzalez or nunez?
and votto goes yard
Votto!
@Steve: yeah, i’m sore too. had a busy day today…i remember saying oops he’s playing the yankees…
lowe or cook? is lowe cooked? or is cook lowe?
who would you rather own…
i just hope the nats pull j zimm out now after 7 big innings he gave me in 2 leagues,109 pitches,surely he`s done
For the rest of the year: Cruz or Rios?
@Grey: San Diego 3-6 against the likes of Seattle and Oakland since I said they’d be lucky to win 1/3 of remaining games. The good news–they still have 6 (the rest of the season) against AZ.
@Chase: Thanks!
@Steve: Ouch
@jerkstore: I wouldn’t start either.
@paulzone: Nope
@paulzone: Lowe’ll be okay, and even if not, it’s too soon to drop him.
@Robert: Cruz
@Simply Fred: They’re just doing it to spite you.
was offered A-rod, Uggla, and A. Gonzalez for Fielder and Utley
I can’t do this right? I need a 3B (I have a Pablo/F Lopez platoon in there) but I just wanna check with the experts
Verlander+Manny or Dunn, Haren + Scherzer?
@Grey: Lowe will be glad to get away from the AL East. He’ll bounce back.
He said hopefully.
alright guys. one more b4 i update my team in the forums.
cardiac arrest @ 50?… i guess he really was black after all.
@Grey: BTW, thanks for support of Aardsma as a reasonable alternative to Bell. Aardsma best reliever in MLB since May 15 with 12 saves, 2 wins, and 25 K in 17.2.
Glad to see Joseph Votto is starting slow: 4-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
So i wasssss getting shelled this week in pitching, threw WOLFY and UBALDONUTS…..
my oppenent tonight throws RICH HILL AND LOWE!
God what a great night, the fantasy gods are smiling…. DRINK!!!!
i am a cano and hill owner. if choosing straight up, i’d take cano. so, i’ve tried every team in the league and no one will trade for hill. by the rationale in your newest post, i should just trade cano and put hill in 2b. agreed?
@danimal35: I’d want the Utley side.
@Dim: I’d take the Dunn side, but very close. Could see it going either way.
@Simply Fred: Cool
@Tony Y: Nice
@paulzone: Yup
guess who didn’t activate Votto on Monday? Next day for moves is tomorrow…great! Morrow worth a pick up in a 15 and 12 teamer? Would dump Gamel from both teams.
@Grey: Was offered Votto for my M Young in a 12-team, non-keeper, 6×6 with OPS. Seems good, but how much more valuable is Votto than Young (SS, 3B) when I’d have to slide F Lopez or post-DL Lowrie to cover SS?
Thank you Fielder, Votto, Reynolds, Hill for the offense with a little side of Markakis…however, screw you Bills and Lilly for the crappy pitching
Twice Ticker Teased!! Rays and Yanks both put up 10 and Upton and Teixera are 0-7.
Mini Donkey #20!
@Elijah: SO MAD MY PRIORITY WASN’T HIGH ENOUGH TO GRAB HIM AFTER HIS HUGE GAME 3 WEEKS AGO OR WHENEVER….
DAMN MINI DONKEY….
Pujols & Cain for Prince, Haren, Scherzer?
@Tony Y:
He’s no Chris Davis.
was offered Cruz, Bruce, F-Lo for my Holliday, Jobacum, Homer B? non-keeper, OBP. My pitching is dece so I can loose Max and my OF is Kemp, Mclouth, Ludwick, Holliday in my Util. My goal is to upgrade over Ludwick. Cruz > Holliday before this month? Then Bruce is a better play than Ludwick the rest of the year? He told me he wanted a closer, I think he messed up on the Irish Cream.
@Schlitzy: I’d dump Gamel and grab Morrow.
@SRM: I’d want Votto.
@Elijah: Sweet!
@Dim: I’d take the Pujols side.
@Wizo: re: Irish Cream — ha! I’d take the Bruce side.
Nolasco is available. Drop Meche, Hanson or Smoltz to get him?
@Gareth: Meche
@Grey: “Trust in the Zo.” Gold!
Make that #21 MINI DONKEY!!!
Get on the Donkey!
Absoultely crushed it too…
only 2nd allowed all year by Francisco.
@john: Ouch! No respect for the dead!
And yes, it is a good day to own Fielder, Votto, and Reynolds. Toss in a little Berkman & Zobrist, and you’ve got yourself a tidy 7-HR day
ok , so it’s big news that soto was smoking a little grass (pot/ganja) before the wbc … and now he’ll pay the consequences .
what i’d like to know , (and a simple show of hands will suffice) , of all the people in this room ……
cust kayin’ .
@Grey:
is this why the total # of individual commentors posts are not available ?
are they being reviewed/revised due to possible enhancements ??
@Dingo: Yes, we’ve already established that I’m goin to hell with a free movie headset courtesy of Denys…
And wow nice, it was only a 5 hr day for me, but I’ll just have to live with it.
@big o: Guilty as charged……..
But I’m on vacay so it doesn’t count.
@big o: We were getting too many comments and it was slowing the site down. I’m looking into a way of bringing it back. Might take moving to a better web server.
Burrell or Luke Scott?
@DrEasy: Give Burrell a whirl.
@BigFatHippo: @big o: Once.
But I didn’t inhale.
This post makes me happy because I DO have Jeter and Zobrist. I usually play the Zo in OF anywho or back up for Jeter when he isn’t playing. He’s in there every day one way or another. That’s what’s great about him. Right now, he’s hitting as well as anyone but, at the core, is a utility guy fantasy-wise.