In our league we can keep up to 10 players from the previous season based on what they were purchased for the season before. After you've kept them for one season, they will go up $5 for the next (third) season.... and $5 every season after that. If you signed a player as a FA during the season, they will default to $10. That's a little high in my opinion, but oh well....

My options are (and the prices I paid for them in 2008).... The is a 10 team 5x5.
Ryan Braun $32
Nelson Cruz FA $10
Chris Davis FA $10
Elijah Dukes FA $10
Jacoby Ellsbury $5
Andre Ethier $1
Ryan Garko $1
Corey Hart $16
Derek Jeter $16
Ryan Ludwick FA $10
Kazuo Matsui $1
Cameron Maybin $1
Brian McCann $12
Justin Morneau $16
David Murphy FA $10
Mark Reynolds FA $10
Jayson Werth FA $10
Josh Willingham $1

Scott Baker
Jonathan Broxton $1
Yovani Gallardo $7
Freddy Garcia $1
Kevin Gregg $5
Aaron Harang $18
Tim Lincecum $10
Johan Santana $36
Max Scherzer FA $10

The players in bold are who I'm leaning toward are in bold. But that makes 13. Any thoughts?

You have a lot of great guys here, so unfortunately you're going to have to part with some guys you want to keep. You'll just have to try and get them back in the draft.

I'd keep all the guys you've bolded except McCann, Johan and Corey Hart. Hart's great and I like him, but $16 is near what he should go for anyway. So it's not much of a bargain. McCann is a good bargain for $12 but you'll be fine getting a different catcher. Johan is obviously terrific and worth $36, but you have Lincecum at $10 and you can afford to lose Johan and use that $36 on a big time hitter (or a few hitters).

EDIT: Typo. Word.

I'd say Ethier is dependent on whether Manny stays in LA or not. And Scherzer hinges on his sticking in the rotation. Not keeping McCann will be tough. He was high up on my totem pole. Hart, C.Davis and Ludwick were the other 3 I had the most questions about.

Ethier isn't as good as his last two months of last year and Manny doesn't really matter for that, but at a $1 you should keep him. Chris Davis is 30 home run hitter at 3rd base with a precarious average at worst. Ludwick's also a bargain at $10. Not keeping McCann is tough, but he's a catcher and you can find another one for half his price. Here's an example, what did Doumit go for last year?

Worst case scenario, why don't you trade some of these guys?

I'm trying to trade some of them for sure. Guys like Hamilton, Kinsler and Kemp were all bought at $10 and Youkilis was bought for $2. I'm trying to get him. Doumit went for $1, but it's unknown if he's going to be kept or not. I'd assume so but I bet you'd suggest using McCann to get Doumit in some package.?.

What are your categories, and do you have a cap? Honestly I like to keep the best players as long as I can.

If this is a standard 5x5 roto league, I think I would have to cut 3 out of these 4: Ethier, Hart, Broxton, Gallardo.

I hate all pitchers, closers especially. You already have Lincecum and Scherzer that will be cheap, no need to cut a top catcher, IMO. Hart puts up solid numbers too, but with the hitters you would keep, you're already stacked.

With Johan and Lincecum and Scherzer, you have 3 (possible, depending on what Scherzer does) solid starters.

I probably cut Ethier, Hart and Gallardo.

Nah, I wouldn't suggest you try and get Doumit for McCann. Sorry if I was confusing. What I meant was Doumit was drafted for $1 and he gave great value. I could've used Shoppach as well for my example. My point was, catcher's not worth keeping in your situation. There's plenty of catchers to grab at the draft.

It's a 5x5 roto with the cap being $260. At least last year it was. I'm assuming after all the players are 'kept' the new cap will be $260. That's the way I understand it. I'm new to this particular league. Which brings up another issue. I would assume that all the remaining players that weren't keepers will have inflated purchase prices. Teams are going to have more money in their budget to spend especially if they primarily kept their bargain players.