Okay: This is the scenario I've been nibbling at in the general comments threads over the last few days; figured I'd take it here for serious, once-and-for-all analysis, so I can stop obsessing over it and you can stop hearing about it. But this could be for all the marbles, so have a look.

12 team 5x5 mixed league roto. Right now, I'm in first, but there's 3 or 4 teams bunched together, and we're all very close in a few categories -- for example, I'm tied for 3rd in runs, but 2nd, 3rd, 3rd and 4th look like this: 587, 586, 586, 585. RBIs and HRs are similar. You get the picture.

My offense has been disappointing/putrid most of the first half, but I was patient, waiting for guys like Rios and Upton to get hot and Holliday/Morneau to get hot(ter). Over the past two months there have been signs of life: Morneau, Holliday, Longo, Rios, Chris Davis are all hitting. Here's the current lineup:

C Doumit
1B Morneau
2B Upton
3B Longo
SS Hardy/Lowrie (picked up to spell stone-cold jj hardy)
OF Holliday
OF Rios
OF Pence/Bruce
Util C Davis
B Bonifacio (Furcal DL)

SP Hamels, Lackey, Cain, Baker, Kershaw (Penny DL)
RP Soria, Guardado, Zumaya, Chris Perez

So: I'd like to add another stud OF I can put out everyday and try and get some distance from the pack in the offensive categories. I've shopped for Soriano, Vlad, C Lee, Burrell, Markakis -- those are basically the guys available who aren't on my close rivals teams and aren't untouchable for whatever reason. (Well, Soriano is untouchable now thanks to his recent hot streak, so forget him.)

Here are the scenarios:

1) Hamels, Pence and Guardado for Markakis
2) Pence/Guardado for Burrell
3) Hamels/Rios for Vlad/Greinke or Garza
4) Hamels/Pence/Soria for Carlos Lee (that owner is a stingy miser, Scrooge McRoto)
5) Flip Bonifacio for a hot rent-a-bat like Tatis
6) Stick with Bruce/Pence, keep Hamels, stand pat

Of those four OFs, I probably like Markakis this best, given that, last season, in August and September, he hit 13 HRs with 48 rib-eyes. In other words, he's a proven late-season mashaholic. However, I don't know if my pitching is strong enough to lose Hamels, especially given that wins are also very tight and competitive and my other starters (eg. Cain) don't pile up the victories.

Still, I like the prospect of making a bold move and adding a big bat -- I waited long enough for my team to get hot, and it has been recently, for the most part, yet I still haven't got much separation from the pack.

Okay.

Thoughts?

Hamels could breakdown, but you're not trading him for Markakis on the hope one gets hot and the other collapses.

I vote for #2. If you can pull off a deal that sends a 3rd rate closer and a guy on your bench for the 5 hole hitter on the Phillies, why don't you do this trade? You need power. What does Burrell do? (Besides have sex with my girlfriend's friend.) He mashes donks in the balcony of the Bank. Hitting HRs in the Bank-cony is like hitting a layup on a NBA basketball court. If he slumps like he could do, you bench him, but that's no harm no foul anyway cause Pence was benched on your team. Make like Prefontaine's copyright infringer and Just do it!

Cool, thanks. I think you're right. My emotions are playing a part here because I dropped Markakis early last year, and his late-season tear was in part what fueled the guy behind me to creep right up my tailpipe... so having him this year feels like karmic payback, or retribution, or something.

Then again, I also picked up, then dropped, Burrell for no good reason last year, and he went on a tear too.

Moral: Me triggerfinger too itchy.