Standard 5x5 categories with the following additions: OPS, Losses, Saves+Holds instead of Saves. 25-man rosters.

This is an auction league, teams are able to keep 8 players. Players may be kept for 3 seasons. Waiver acquisitions may not be kept. We instituted FAAB of $100 this season. There is an in season salary cap of $360; free agents cost $10 against the cap, all drafted players auction price = cap number.

C - Brian McCann $17, kept
1B - Adam Dunn $26, kept
2B - Dan Uggla $15
3B - Ryan Zimmerman $14, kept
SS - Ian Desmond $1
OF - Jacoby Ellsbury $6, kept
OF - Andre Ethier $13, kept
OF - Nick Markakis $27
OF - Alex Rios $16
UTIL - FraGu $9
UTIL - Milton Bradley $1
Offensive Reserves: Marco Scutaro $3, Brandon Wood FA.

Comments: Adam LaRoche was the 4th best 1B draft eligible this season, which lead to some really strange auction behavior. I didn't particularly want to pay $27 for Markakis, but he was the best offensive player on the board when I took him and favorably priced if you believe in a bounce-back, which I do. Pairing Uggla with Dunn was... not ideal, but had to be done to find power.

SP C.C. Sabathia $27, kept
SP Jon Lester $21, kept
SP Adam Wainwright $5, kept
SP Kevin Slowey $9
SP Jeff Niemann $3
SP Justin Masterson FA
RP Johnathan Papelbon $19
RP Pat Neshak $1
RP Pedro Felciano $4
RP Ryan Madson $1
RP Franklin Morales FA
RP Peter Moylan FA

DL: Michael Wuertz $1, Hong-Chih Kuo $1

Comments: Drafting pitching in this league is extremely difficult, as Scott Baker was legitimately the #2 pitcher on the board at the start of the draft. This is probably the #2 or #3 pitching staff in the league, depending on SV+HD, W/L luck. The two teams I would rate as equivalent or better are sporting top 3s of F-Her/Verlander/YoGa, Lincecum/Halladay/Vazquez.

I'm looking to be less exposed to the AL East with my SPs, preferably without moving Lester (he's the only one of my top 3 SPs keepable beyond this season). Ideally I'd like to maintain the pitching staff while getting better at OF4/UTIL. We are allowed to trade up to $30 of our $260 2011 draft dollars (teams can not have more than $290 or less than $230 before keepers).

I know it's very early in the season, but is this team good enough to warrant mortgaging the future to win the league in 2010? Are there any fundamental changes you would make to the construction of the offense or pitching staff to lower risk/get better?

I agree with what you said. I think it's definitely a team that should try and win it this year. Slightly worried about your offense being unbalanced. What I mean is you have steals and power but not guys who do both, instead you have guys who hit for power and guys who are speed. It could work, but sometimes one injury can hurt a team like that. Since this league's categories don't reward speed much, it'll probably be okay. I think your pitching is fine with potentially 4 number ones.