The Jays have all but conceded the closer role to Jason Frasor. They must love Frasor’s witticisms! See if you can trade Kevin Gregg for Nadir Bupkus. Otherwise, I’d drop him as soon as it’s official, which it may be by the time you read this. Gregg’s not worth the stack of napkins you’re using until you buy more toilet paper. I moved Frasor up my Closer Look from the other day. His days of brain freezing could be behind him quickly; he can easily be a donkeycorn by May. Gregg isn’t much of a challenge to Frasor and Gaston seems content with Downs in middle relief. Anyway, here’s what else happened over the weekend in fantasy baseball:
Jon Rauch – The Twins are going with the dreaded closer-by-committee. (Rauch moved down that same Closer Look.) Matt Guerrier will see some save chances, Jose Mijares could see some situational saves, but I think Rauch will see the majority. I own Rauch and Guerrier in different leagues. If there’s one bullpen that can pull through losing their closer, it’s the Twins. In years past, I’d say they definitely would ride it out, meaning no trade. But they’re opening a new park and I think they want their fans to think they’re out there trying their best, so I think they acquire a closer, namely Heath Bell. When will they acquire him or someone? Either very soon, or June assuming they’re still in the race.
Cliff Lee – To start the year on DL. Did I not call this or what?! I didn’t, actually. I did say something to the effect, “If I believe in Cliff Lee this year, he’s going to let me down.” And that’s me paraphrasing me! I told you I called it… Kinda. Supposedly, the Mariners are looking to acquire a starter with this injury to Lee. That’s not good. Why are the Mariners looking for pitching help if they trust Lee to be okay in a week or two? Probably because they don’t think Lee’s going to be okay in a week or two. Weak, indeed.
Ian Desmond – You can’t spell Nationals without Ian! (From Nationals, you could also spell, Nasal Into, the Indonesian tissue manufacturer.) Desmond won the starting shortstop job. Look at the Nats making sense. I already went over Desmond’s sleeperitude. He’s a 10/20 guy, i.e., a cheap Asdrubal. (<– Sounds like a condition that Nasal Into could help with.)
Roy Oswalt – Hamstring tightness, while easy to chew around on the Hormel, not great on pitchers. Oswalt says he’s going to be fine to open the season. I have my concerns.
Milton Bradley – Announced he will bat cleanup for the Mariners. Pretty ironic considering what a mess he is personnel-wise.
Russell Branyan – Will begin the season on the DL. LaPorta will get a chance to Pipp him and if that doesn’t work out, he’ll have a place in the outfield. LaPorta is a decent sleeper as an endgame flier. Could easily have 20+ homers in his bat. Though, not sure if his upside is anything more than Ludwick.
Austin Jackson – Officially named leadoff hitter and center fielder. Now he just needs to live up to his predecessor, Curtis Granderson. Word is there’s a fiddy percent chance he’ll change his name to Curtis Jackson.
Ian Kennedy – With his strong spring, he snagged the 5th starting spot in the desert. He’s a solid flier in 12 team mixed leagues as I pointed out in the starters to target post.
Jason Heyward – That noise you heard on Friday was a thousand Yeti mitts clapping for Heyward as he was named the Braves’ Opening Day RF. (No, not Ralph Furley.) When I wrote up the Jason Heyward 2010 Fantasy Outlook post in November, I kinda thought he was going to make the starting lineup out Spring Training, so nothing changes from that post. When you’re done reading it, this will all still be here. Promise!
Ian Kinsler – Out for a few more days after having an injection in his foot. They should’ve asked Hamilton, he can easily find a vein between toes. I will say this in an upcoming post, but I’ll give you a sneak here. Spoiler Alert! If Kinsler isn’t good in April and has a poor 2nd half as he’s had in the past, that doesn’t make for a good season. Cust kayin’.
Ben Zobrist – Looks slated to be the Rays’ three hitter and headed into the outfield, which brings us to…
Sean Rodriguez – Seems like he’s going to be the starting 2nd baseman for the Rays. I love punting MI when drafting. Sean-Rod is on the radar now, big time. I’m going to leave his projections at the top 20 2nd basemen post alone, even though they’re for only 400 ABs. I won’t believe he’s going to get 401 at-bats, until he gets 401 at-bats. Nevertheless! He’s got some security now cause he’s in the hunt for 401, ‘kay?
Jaime Garcia – La Russa says Garcia is not officially the 5th starter yet. I’m not sure it’s a matter of time either, but Garcia’s still in the running. Or throwing, I guess.
Jeff Clement – All but confirmed he’ll be the starting 1st baseman. Could easily be a top ten catcher this year just because of how many ABs he’ll get vs. most catching options. Rudy dropped Iannetta from one of our teams for Clement. I put up a small fight and lost. Right now, Iannetta and Clement are tomato-tomahto, but they could easily be tomato-Olivo’s stealing all my tomahtos.
Dallas Braden – Has a staph infection. This is following a (probably) unrelated condition where he lost feeling in two of his toes last year. This feeling has not returned and causes Braden to lose control of at least one pitch a game. Is it me or does this sound like it’s headed to a TV movie of the week starring Danny Masterson?
Nationals is also an anagram for
Slain a ton
Insert Nationals win-loss joke here.
Who would you rather have Jeff Nieman or Ian Kennedy?
grey, i’m glad i stayed up and read this… i hate a droobling ass with my breakfast…
could you rank s-rod between two other 2Bs? thanks…..
desmond (Yahoo! has him 2B and SS), s-rod, mcgehee/kjohnson ?
of course this is if he DOES have the 2B job… and keeps it.
and could you explain the .250 you predicted him @? is this due to the PCL bandboxes/he hits mainly for power/his “show” experience (dreadful) so far/umm the economy??? uhh unemployment… healthcare… tiger woods/jesse james….
sorry, i had a CNN/E! News brain mixup
@Jackie Niemann.
Also an anagram for I Salon Tan.
Jersey Shore joke maybe?
Given Clement’s ABs will he be a better option at C than Napoli or does his upside fall short of Napoli’s value?
Since Napoli won’t play every game is it worthwhile to drop Chris Davis as my lone bench hitter for Clement? Thank you.
I just dropped Latos for Kennedy because an exploding post-it note told me:
“Latos (elbow), who tossed a bullpen session on Saturday, is now likely to begin the season in Triple-A Portland, the North County Times reports.”
But for all you Yahoo-ers with SP/RP/P slots, be aware that Kennedy is currently RP-eligible only. Needs 3 starts for SP eligibility.
Grey – I’m guessing that on the basis of track record, you’re liking Kelly J over Desmond for right now in leagues where I-Des is 2B-eligible? Happy to be convinced otherwise…
Grey –
I just drafted a team for a 5×5 12 team league full of players that I like, but a team I really don’t.
C – Kurt Suzuki
1B – Adrian Gonzalez
2B – Dan Uggla
SS – Hanley Ramirez
3B – Ian Stewart
OF – Curtis Granderson
OF – Hunter Pence
OF – Nate McLouth
Util – Vladimir Guerrero
Util – Johnny Damon
Bench – Chris Davis, Ian Desmond , Alcides Escobar
SP – CC Sabathia, Johan Santana, Josh Beckett, Roy Oswalt, Ted Lilly, Jonathan Sanchez
RP – Francisco Rodriguez, Frank Francisco, Octavio Dotel
The obvious problem is that my team batting average could very likely fall below Jason Heyward’s body weight this season. Should I try trading out of my pitching surplus for *shudder* Chone Figgins for high average at the corner, shop Hanley for a Wright/Utley player, place a voodoo curse on Clint Barmes so Eric Young can get the starting position and fix all my problems, or say, “Screw it, grey loves Ian Stewart, I shouldn’t be so worried about him?”
16-team H2H-POINTS League
With Latos hurt/being sent down, I need a replacement arm for my last starter, (until Lilly comes back). All yawnstipating options, but who do you dislike the least?
Colby Lewis
Wade LeBlanc
Carl Pavano
Ryan Rowland-Smith
Jason Marquis
Barry Zito
16-team H2H-POINTS League
A-Rod is my 3B. Ryan Zimmerman is my MI/CI. Beckham will be my 2B in a few weeks once he’s eligible, so I have to pick up a scrub like Adam Kennedy or Skip Shumaker until then. I could also use some SP help.
What do you think of Zimmerman FOR Brett Anderson & Jose Lopez?
Or do I stand pat, stream my 5th starter, and bite the bullet for a few weeks with a weak 2B until Beckham is eligible?
Thanks.
@atomeka: i wouldn’t consider clement until i got past mauer, vmart, mccann, wieters, napoli, suzuki, soto, and montero. after those guys though, i’d consider using clement, or at least consider have clement on my bench as a backup. clement hasn’t been very good this spring, so everything is just speculation. keep an eye on him, but if you got napoli, it’d take an incredible start by clement for me to consider dropping napoli for him.
Ugh, this Kinsler news is killing me. I have him in two of my leagues (including the RCL!). I’m pretty sure he’s going on a 6 day DL stint to start the year.
But enough of that. With my four drafts officially done, I’d like to say thank you Grey. Finding this website back in late December has made me feel like an expert! Not only am I confident with all of my teams, I think I have a good shot at winning all of them too. This truly couldn’t have been done without you, Rudy, and all the guest contributors to Razzball. I look forward to the rest of the season with you and all my fellow razzballers. You can be sure that a daquiri is coming your way pretty soon. Once again, thank you very much, your work is majorly appreciated by everyone here at Razzball.
@ThePoonTycoon: Thanks. I had an itchy trigger finger for no good reason and needed to be talked out of it.
I’m in a points league (1-4 pts for 1B-HR, 2pts for R, RBI, SB, 1 pt for BB, HBP), and I’ve been offered a package that essentially boils down to Jason Bartlett for JJ Hardy. I’ve been worried ever since the draft that Hardy wouldn’t rebound from last year and will kill me as my SS, but is Bartlett going to do what he did last year again? Is this a no-brainer based simply on the fact that Bartlett is slated to bat 6 spots higher in the order than Hardy and will therefore get 100-120 more PAs?
Hey all. I have Scutaro currently in MI position, with both Desomnd (brotha) and Sean Rod available. In a vacuum, who is more valuable? Longer leash?
@Bill: I like your team. Nice starting pitching. But as a guy with a weakness for slap-and-speed OFs, I say to you: I think you have a weakness for slap-and-speed OFs.
Pence, McLouth, AND Grandy? With Damon in reserve? I’d sure like to see a slowfooted, 40-bomb farmboy like Adam Dunn nestled in there somewhere.
@Grey: My draft is this week. Jeff Clement is now officially my Punted Catcher. Extra ABs for a C are huge — no more routine DNPs on Sunday day games. Now I’ll get 0-for-4s! Kidding!
I think Clement reaches 20 bombs. You know* — like Pauly Shore’s career.
*WARNING: PAULY SHORE JOKE IMMINENT. Oops, too late.
@Baron Von Vulturewins
Oh, I’d love to see Adam Dunn in there as well – But can you imagine what my team BA would fall to? It’s why I passed on Swisher, and why I picked up Vlad in lieu of someone who still has functioning knees, I was just trying to salvage my batting average.
@Baron Von Vulturewins: while he has no serious power threats in the OF, i’d say grandy, pence, and mclouth all have a a great shot at 25+ HRs if healthy and given full ABs. and all 3 will contribute in SBs too. so i wouldn’t call these guys “slap and speed” like i would borbon or pierre or ellsbury or even crawford.
I have two spots left in my rotation for my 5×5 roto league. I’m trying to decide between Pineiro, Rzypczinski, and Neftali Feliz. My other pitchers are Josh Johnson, Billingsley, Shields, Slowey, Blanton, and I have Cordero and Goinzalez as closers. Which two of those three do you think I should go with?
Grey, you can’t go ambivelant on us! You didn’t give a clear yes/no so I went out and drafted Lee. According to AP, Lee is being treated with “platelet-rich plasma injection therapy to treat the injury.” Maybe a little HGH thrown in the mix as well. Along with Kinsler on my RCL, this is already a double whammy.At any rate, Lee was gonna go on a five day suspension for trying to doink Chris Snyder; why he would want to throw at somebody’s head in Spring Training is beyond me. Sounds a bit like Roid Rage. BTW, Several of the Pseudo’sperts at ESPN are already comparing Heyward to Hank Aaron. Karabell is already pushing his case for the Hall of Fame. Better clue in Rudy on that one. That was a cruel dinger about Josh, but funny as hell. Great job, but for once, missed the heading completely. Please give it out before days end.
You should have a top ten ratings for the potential Nadir Bupkis award. Special kudus for whoever drafted him in Razzball league.
Projected Line for Desmond:
48 Rs, 15 SBs, 16 HRs .230 Avg .420 Slugging
on a side not, Everth Cabrera an obvious drop for Ian Desmond?
@MikeE: not joel
@grey- Should I pick up sean rodriguez or travis snider?
@MikeE: The bigger question is why do you need seven starters in a 5×5 league? You aren’t light on Ks and you’re going to seriously damage your ERA and WHIP to chase some extra Ws.
@Paulie Allnuts: Isn’t that the same treatment that Reyes got last season so that he could quickly overcome his calf/hamstring issues? Lee coming to the Mariners in a big deal should have been enough for you to know to stay away (Erik Bedard anyone?).
@Martin: I’ve managed to find space for both on my squad, but if you can only take one I think Snider’s the no-brainer decision, assuming all positions are equal on your squad. PECOTA’s liked him for two years, expecting power to come early and AVG to come later. Hitting 5/6 for the Jays though, I think he could put up 85 RBI to go with 27 HRs without breaking a sweat.
@sean: it’s always nice to have a couple of backups. i mean, guys fall off in production, especially SPs every season. i know i wouldn’t trust blanton blindly enough to trot him out there without some kind of insurance policy.
i am in need of SBs in a roto league. keep desmond and see what he does or drop him for maybin in hopes he breaks out this year?
I drafted over the weekend for a 10 team mixed roto league. I know in a shallow league like that you need to be strong everywhere. Any comments/suggestions are appreciated:
C – Clement, Jeff
C – Montero, Miguel
1B – Howard, Ryan
2B – Utley, Chase
SS – Ramirez, Alexei
MI – Uggla, Dan
3B – Wright, David
CI – LaRoche, Adam
OF – Choo, Shin-Soo
OF – Crawford, Carl
OF – Lee, Carlos
OF – Markakis, Nick
OF – Upton, Justin
U – Gonzalez, Carlos
SPs : Johan Santana, Cliff Lee, Clayton Kershaw, Cole Hamels, Ricky Nolasco, Ben Sheets, Ted Lilly, Aaron Harang, Phil Hughes, Aroldis Chapman, Justin Masterson
RPs: Billy Wagner, Rafael Soriano, Mike Gonzalez, Frank Francisco
Any 9 pitchers can be active any given week, so a lot of those pitchers are reserves. I’m a bit concerned about my batting average. Should I be? Where do you see strengths and weaknesses?
Except for Padilla – in auction league – he cost me 99 cents
for those who are keeping score this is how much the players went for in my 16 team roto auction draft – my players show up as Moe
Draft Results
3. Albert Pujols $49 The Brute Squad
19. Chase Utley $44 NewBVick
7. Hanley Ramírez $44 NewBVick
27. Prince Fielder $44 N.1.A.K.
38. Tim Lincecum $41 Ellsbury Dough Boys
35. Ryan Braun $41 The Big Nasty
71. Kevin Youkilis $40 Hughes on First
8. Álex Rodríguez $40 Okinawa Corals
39. Mark Teixeira $39 Hughes on First
51. Ryan Howard $39 moe
20. Evan Longoria $39 The Big Nasty
41. Joe Mauer $37 NewBVick
58. Brian McCann $36 Okinawa Corals
40. Zack Greinke $35 N.1.A.K.
25. David Wright $35 Conando
5. Miguel Cabrera $34 Rolen in my 64
55. Adrián González $34 The Big Nasty
4. Roy Halladay $34 Snooki’s Hot Box
36. Matt Kemp $33 Hughes on First
21. Matt Holliday $33 Okinawa Corals
59. Troy Tulowitzki $33 Able Team
14. CC Sabathia $33 Oral Hyjinx
43. Félix Hernández $32 CRP/CharliesHustlers
52. Justin Upton $32 The Big Nasty
67. Carl Crawford $32 Okinawa Corals
37. Joey Votto $31 Hughes on First
24. Chris Carpenter $30 N.1.A.K.
103. Adam Dunn $30 Rolen in my 64
10. Pablo Sandoval $30 Conando
23. Ryan Zimmerman $30 moe
83. Derek Jeter $30 Rolen in my 64
62. Grady Sizemore $29 Rolen in my 64
33. Víctor Martínez $28 Jay Bruce Almighty
79. Adam Lind $28 Snooki’s Hot Box
54. Dan Haren $28 Oral Hyjinx
87. Jon Lester $28 Hughes on First
82. Curtis Granderson $27 moe
53. Mark Reynolds $27 Jay Bruce Almighty
46. Ichiro Suzuki $27 Ellsbury Dough Boys
104. Clayton Kershaw $27 Jay Bruce Almighty
75. Adam Wainwright $26 moe
28. Jacoby Ellsbury $26 Jay Bruce Almighty
17. Ian Kinsler $26 Conando
45. Nelson Cruz $26 moe
42. Dustin Pedroia $26 Mookie Style
92. Justin Verlander $25 Jay Bruce Almighty
115. Josh Johnson $25 Able Team
9. Johan Santana $25 The Brute Squad
123. Ubaldo Jiménez $25 N.1.A.K.
68. Kendry Morales $25 Able Team
1. José Reyes $25 Oral Hyjinx
72. Shin-Soo Choo $25 Mookie Style
88. Jayson Werth $25 CRP/CharliesHustlers
98. Yovani Gallardo $24 Rolen in my 64
31. Tommy Hanson $24 Able Team
18. Ben Zobrist $24 Jay Bruce Almighty
26. Robinson Canó $24 Hughes on First
34. Josh Beckett $23 CRP/CharliesHustlers
30. Derrek Lee $23 CRP/CharliesHustlers
49. Aramis Ramírez $22 The Brute Squad
85. Cliff Lee $21 Jay Bruce Almighty
110. Chone Figgins $21 NewBVick
56. Andrew McCutchen $21 The Brute Squad
74. Jason Bay $21 Mookie Style
44. Nick Markakis $20 Jay Bruce Almighty
69. Justin Morneau $20 Mookie Style
119. Ricky Nolasco $20 Okinawa Corals
50. Mariano Rivera $20 The Brute Squad
73. Jimmy Rollins $20 Conando
86. Bobby Abreu $20 CRP/CharliesHustlers
11. Gordon Beckham $20 moe
80. Torii Hunter $19 CRP/CharliesHustlers
131. Jonathan Broxton $19 NewBVick
15. Aaron Hill $19 Snooki’s Hot Box
101. Cole Hamels $19 Conando
99. Billy Butler $19 Okinawa Corals
78. Denard Span $19 Conando
2. Chad Billingsley $18 CRP/CharliesHustlers
126. Andre Ethier $18 Able Team
47. Carlos Peña $18 Mookie Style
117. Wandy Rodríguez $18 Rolen in my 64
155. Chris Coghlan $18 Able Team
136. Jake Peavy $18 Okinawa Corals
95. Scott Baker $17 Conando
90. B.J. Upton $17 Okinawa Corals
132. Adam Jones $17 Oral Hyjinx
114. Matt Cain $17 CRP/CharliesHustlers
199. Martín Prado $16 Conando
138. Jonathan Papelbon $16 N.1.A.K.
133. Brett Anderson $16 Mookie Style
94. Carlos Lee $16 The Brute Squad
106. Manny Ramírez $16 The Brute Squad
102. Raúl Ibañez $16 Oral Hyjinx
96. Lance Berkman $16 Oral Hyjinx
120. Jason Bartlett $16 Mookie Style
171. John Danks $15 Oral Hyjinx
65. Michael Young $15 Jay Bruce Almighty
84. Matt Wieters $15 Snooki’s Hot Box
57. Brandon Phillips $15 The Brute Squad
12. Jason Heyward $15 Hughes on First
174. John Lackey $15 Able Team
64. Shane Victorino $14 Oral Hyjinx
32. Howie Kendrick $14 Hughes on First
159. Nyjer Morgan $14 CRP/CharliesHustlers
151. Jay Bruce $14 CRP/CharliesHustlers
143. Brian Wilson $14 Snooki’s Hot Box
135. Josh Hamilton $14 Mookie Style
100. Javier Vázquez $14 The Big Nasty
149. Matt Garza $14 moe
183. Gavin Floyd $14 Conando
130. Jered Weaver $14 Mookie Style
129. Hunter Pence $14 Able Team
107. Yunel Escobar $14 Okinawa Corals
127. Rajai Davis $14 moe
175. Jorge Cantú $13 Snooki’s Hot Box
164. Carlos González $13 Rolen in my 64
122. Jair Jurrjens $13 The Big Nasty
89. Brian Roberts $13 Ellsbury Dough Boys
22. Francisco Rodríguez $12 NewBVick
165. James Shields $12 Mookie Style
97. Chipper Jones $12 Mookie Style
66. José Valverde $12 The Brute Squad
76. Asdrubal Cabrera $12 Able Team
116. Ryan Ludwick $12 Ellsbury Dough Boys
140. Rick Porcello $12 Snooki’s Hot Box
139. Dan Uggla $12 Oral Hyjinx
148. Heath Bell $12 Oral Hyjinx
194. Carlos Zambrano $12 The Brute Squad
226. Roy Oswalt $12 Conando
163. Joakim Soria $12 moe
203. Kyle Blanks $11 N.1.A.K.
147. Andrew Bailey $11 Snooki’s Hot Box
162. Trevor Hoffman $11 Rolen in my 64
109. Jason Kubel $11 CRP/CharliesHustlers
200. Max Scherzer $11 Mookie Style
152. Francisco Liriano $11 Rolen in my 64
118. Elvis Andrus $11 Jay Bruce Almighty
244. Chad Qualls $11 Rolen in my 64
187. Rickie Weeks $11 Rolen in my 64
204. Billy Wagner $11 Able Team
121. Alexei Ramírez $11 The Brute Squad
60. Julio Borbón $11 Ellsbury Dough Boys
265. Brian Fuentes $11 Oral Hyjinx
63. Nate McLouth $11 Snooki’s Hot Box
239. Ted Lilly $11 Snooki’s Hot Box
220. Ryan Franklin $11 Able Team
169. Edwin Jackson $10 The Big Nasty
168. Rich Harden $10 Mookie Style
112. Michael Cuddyer $10 Oral Hyjinx
209. Erick Aybar $10 The Big Nasty
227. Francisco Cordero $10 N.1.A.K.
188. Rafael Soriano $10 Able Team
91. Todd Helton $10 CRP/CharliesHustlers
210. Phil Hughes $10 N.1.A.K.
124. Brad Hawpe $10 CRP/CharliesHustlers
184. Tim Hudson $9 NewBVick
81. Adrián Béltre $9 Ellsbury Dough Boys
181. A.J. Burnett $9 NewBVick
178. Matt Thornton $9 Snooki’s Hot Box
166. Marco Scutaro $9 Snooki’s Hot Box
137. José López $9 Snooki’s Hot Box
179. Ryan Dempster $9 Ellsbury Dough Boys
224. Bobby Jenks $9 Jay Bruce Almighty
6. Stephen Strasburg $9 Okinawa Corals
219. Plácido Polanco $9 The Big Nasty
158. Miguel Montero $9 N.1.A.K.
185. Carlos Quentin $9 Conando
256. Mark Buehrle $8 NewBVick
230. Nolan Reimold $8 N.1.A.K.
172. Frank Francisco $8 Conando
214. Randy Wells $8 The Big Nasty
284. Dexter Fowler $8 Able Team
243. Hiroki Kuroda $8 NewBVick
145. Álex Ríos $8 Ellsbury Dough Boys
283. Kevin Slowey $8 moe
201. David Price $8 moe
206. Miguel Tejada $8 moe
195. Carlos Mármol $8 moe
70. Garrett Jones $8 Hughes on First
176. David Aardsma $8 Mookie Style
233. Scott Kazmir $8 Mookie Style
113. Alfonso Soriano $8 The Brute Squad
202. Kevin Correia $8 Snooki’s Hot Box
150. Everth Cabrera $8 N.1.A.K.
271. J.A. Happ $8 Snooki’s Hot Box
146. Michael Bourn $8 N.1.A.K.
216. Jorge Posada $8 Rolen in my 64
268. Daniel Bard $7 N.1.A.K.
167. Ian Stewart $7 Able Team
249. Brandon Webb $7 The Brute Squad
142. Mark DeRosa $7 Oral Hyjinx
198. Orlando Cabrera $7 Ellsbury Dough Boys
232. Chris Pérez $7 Mookie Style
208. Derek Lowe $7 Oral Hyjinx
207. Franklin Gutiérrez $7 Snooki’s Hot Box
225. Vernon Wells $7 NewBVick
196. Jorge De La Rosa $7 Conando
242. Jonathan Sánchez $7 N.1.A.K.
157. J.D. Drew $7 Rolen in my 64
223. Leo Núñez $7 The Big Nasty
287. Josh Willingham $7 Snooki’s Hot Box
250. Ryan Theriot $7 Hughes on First
276. Drew Stubbs $7 Able Team
257. Adam LaRoche $7 Snooki’s Hot Box
177. Carlos Beltrán $7 N.1.A.K.
180. Johnny Damon $6 Ellsbury Dough Boys
236. Mike González $6 Able Team
154. David Ortiz $6 Ellsbury Dough Boys
193. Juan Pierre $6 Hughes on First
111. Justin Duchscherer $6 Snooki’s Hot Box
248. Brian Matusz $6 NewBVick
29. Randy Wolf $6 Ellsbury Dough Boys
289. Juan Rivera $6 The Big Nasty
259. Huston Street $6 The Big Nasty
228. Stephen Drew $6 The Big Nasty
215. Colby Rasmus $6 Conando
286. Nick Swisher $6 Okinawa Corals
251. Joba Chamberlain $6 Conando
105. Corey Hart $6 Ellsbury Dough Boys
191. Cody Ross $6 Snooki’s Hot Box
170. James Loney $6 Ellsbury Dough Boys
128. Mike Lowell $5 Oral Hyjinx
231. Magglio Ordóñez $5 NewBVick
261. Ervin Santana $5 Okinawa Corals
279. Austin Jackson $5 Jay Bruce Almighty
16. Russell Martin $5 Oral Hyjinx
141. Ryan Madson $5 Mookie Style
266. Alex Gordon $5 Jay Bruce Almighty
217. Geovany Soto $5 Conando
192. Jeremy Affeldt $5 The Brute Squad
108. Jason Frasor $5 The Brute Squad
125. Rafael Furcal $5 CRP/CharliesHustlers
182. Mike Napoli $5 The Big Nasty
61. Clay Buchholz $5 CRP/CharliesHustlers
77. Neftali Feliz $5 Ellsbury Dough Boys
281. Octavio Dotel $5 moe
161. Vladimir Guerrero $5 The Brute Squad
273. Paul Konerko $5 NewBVick
253. Brad Lidge $4 The Big Nasty
282. Matt Capps $4 Jay Bruce Almighty
246. Aaron Harang $4 Ellsbury Dough Boys
277. Ricky Romero $4 The Big Nasty
134. Shaun Marcum $4 Rolen in my 64
254. Mat Latos $4 The Big Nasty
205. Brandon Wood $4 N.1.A.K.
290. Michael Wuertz $4 Ellsbury Dough Boys
144. Matt Guerrier $4 Oral Hyjinx
247. Luke Gregerson $4 Conando
262. Ben Sheets $4 NewBVick
285. Maicer Izturis $4 Ellsbury Dough Boys
325. Wade Davis $4 Rolen in my 64
48. Felipe López $4 Oral Hyjinx
241. Conor Jackson $4 Rolen in my 64
310. Jeff Niemann $4 Rolen in my 64
186. Bengie Molina $3 Oral Hyjinx
160. Jon Garland $3 Oral Hyjinx
197. Peter Moylan $3 N.1.A.K.
235. Casey McGehee $3 N.1.A.K.
267. Ian Desmond $3 N.1.A.K.
298. J.P. Howell $3 N.1.A.K.
229. Jon Rauch $3 Hughes on First
272. Scot Shields $3 Oral Hyjinx
288. Bronson Arroyo $3 Oral Hyjinx
240. Cristian Guzmán $3 Oral Hyjinx
173. Mike Adams $3 Jay Bruce Almighty
300. Matt Lindstrom $3 Mookie Style
292. Homer Bailey $3 moe
280. Marc Rzepczynski $3 Mookie Style
264. Ryan Doumit $3 Mookie Style
93. Chris Davis $3 Mookie Style
245. Ramón Hernández $3 moe
213. Nick Masset $3 moe
260. Takashi Saito $3 Ellsbury Dough Boys
221. Franklin Morales $3 CRP/CharliesHustlers
270. Daniel Murphy $3 The Big Nasty
190. John Maine $3 The Brute Squad
274. Johnny Cueto $3 Ellsbury Dough Boys
252. George Sherrill $3 Able Team
295. Milton Bradley $3 Mookie Style
312. Brandon Lyon $3 Able Team
234. C.J. Wilson $3 Jay Bruce Almighty
297. Barry Zito $2 Hughes on First
258. Joe Blanton $2 Ellsbury Dough Boys
314. Chris Young $2 NewBVick
156. LaTroy Hawkins $2 Ellsbury Dough Boys
328. Gerardo Parra $2 The Brute Squad
237. Kevin Kouzmanoff $2 The Big Nasty
323. Ryan Rowland-Smith $2 Conando
318. Adam Kennedy $2 Rolen in my 64
211. Kurt Suzuki $2 The Brute Squad
278. Kerry Wood $2 CRP/CharliesHustlers
305. Aroldis Chapman $2 Able Team
296. Erik Bedard $2 CRP/CharliesHustlers
311. José Mijares $2 N.1.A.K.
153. Alcides Escobar $2 Mookie Style
218. Kosuke Fukudome $2 NewBVick
291. Fernando Rodney $2 CRP/CharliesHustlers
333. Ian Kennedy $2 Able Team
222. David DeJesús $2 NewBVick
238. Jermaine Dye $2 N.1.A.K.
356. Clayton Richard $1 Jay Bruce Almighty
362. Nick Blackburn $1 Jay Bruce Almighty
351. Scott Sizemore $1 Jay Bruce Almighty
322. Scott Rolen $1 Rolen in my 64
350. Sean Burnett $1 Rolen in my 64
359. Dustin Ackley $1 Jay Bruce Almighty
355. Orlando Hudson $1 Rolen in my 64
342. Brandon League $1 Rolen in my 64
334. Scott Feldman $1 Jay Bruce Almighty
309. Casey Blake $1 Rolen in my 64
365. Brandon Inge $1 Jay Bruce Almighty
275. Yadier Molina $1 Ellsbury Dough Boys
343. Brett Gardner $1 Jay Bruce Almighty
315. Jason Motte $1 Snooki’s Hot Box
360. Carl Pavano $1 Okinawa Corals
363. Jonny Gomes $1 Okinawa Corals
357. Randy Ruiz $1 Okinawa Corals
352. J.J. Putz $1 Okinawa Corals
347. Clint Barmes $1 Okinawa Corals
366. Dan Runzler $1 Okinawa Corals
367. John Grabow $1 Okinawa Corals
308. Matt LaPorta $1 Conando
321. Juan Gutiérrez $1 Conando
294. Troy Glaus $1 Conando
263. Jason Hammel $1 Conando
368. Kenshin Kawakami $1 Okinawa Corals
339. Joel Piñeiro $1 Okinawa Corals
329. Trevor Cahill $1 Okinawa Corals
320. Matt Maloney $1 Hughes on First
331. Todd Coffey $1 Hughes on First
307. Chris Young $1 Hughes on First
293. Ian Snell $1 Hughes on First
324. Jack Cust $1 N.1.A.K.
341. Joe Saunders $1 Hughes on First
349. Fausto Carmona $1 Hughes on First
364. Kevin Gregg $1 Hughes on First
212. Chris Iannetta $1 Okinawa Corals
361. Jarrod Washburn $1 Hughes on First
358. John Lannan $1 Hughes on First
354. Buster Posey $1 Hughes on First
332. Justin Masterson $1 Conando
301. Chase Headley $1 The Big Nasty
348. Hideki Okajima $1 moe
353. Darren O’Day $1 moe
340. Mike Cameron $1 moe
330. Vicente Padilla $1 moe
319. Jhonny Peralta $1 moe
299. Edinson Vólquez $1 Able Team
335. Daisuke Matsuzaka $1 Able Team
327. Sergio Romo $1 NewBVick
337. Scott Downs $1 NewBVick
316. Nick Johnson $1 NewBVick
303. Lastings Milledge $1 NewBVick
344. Hideki Matsui $1 Able Team
306. Kelly Johnson $1 moe
346. Carlos Gómez $1 The Brute Squad
189. J.R. Towles $1 CRP/CharliesHustlers
269. Edwin Encarnación $1 CRP/CharliesHustlers
13. Ángel Pagán $1 CRP/CharliesHustlers
336. Michael Brantley $1 The Big Nasty
326. Mark Teahen $1 The Big Nasty
313. Skip Schumaker $1 CRP/CharliesHustlers
255. Matt Diaz $1 Snooki’s Hot Box
338. Grant Balfour $1 The Brute Squad
317. Pedro Feliciano $1 The Brute Squad
304. Andy Pettitte $1 The Brute Squad
302. Marlon Byrd $1 Snooki’s Hot Box
345. Tony Sipp $1 NewBVick
Prado or Sean Rodriguez?
@sean: You are correct! Reyes eventually needed surgery to clean up scar tissue around torn hamstring. However, the Mets medical staff has reached levels of quackery rarely before seen on a Major League level. I believe that Lee is the first to have have what they call PRP treatment for abdominal issues. Lee has had chronic abdominal issues over the years, which I was unaware of. I wasn’t afraid of Safeco; the Orioles suckered the Mariners into taking an already compromised Bedard. Lee did fine in Citizen Bank Park, which is rough for lefties. But I do have a bad feeling about this…
I have the first pick in a 15 team snake draft tonight. No CI or MI, only 3 OF and 2 Util. I’m taking Pujols, then hoping for Zimmerman at the turn. Given the more shallow positions and the extra Util spot, am I crazy for considering Votto if he’s around for the 3rd pick (31 overall)? Otherwise I’d probably go with Phillips, but I think there are a lot of power upside 2B that will be around for a while (Uggla, Stewart, S-Rod). I guess the general questions is, with a shallower league in terms of positions to fill, are you more likely to take a “best available” approach and give less weight to position scarcity?
@Eric: team looks loaded to me, even for a 10 team league. avg shouldn’t be an issue, as only uggla and maybe clement will be drains on it (whose 2nd C isn’t gonna suck at something??), and you counter them with utley, wright, crawford, lee, choo, and markakis, all guys with near or above a .300 career avg.
biggest concern i see if health of your SPs between johan, lee, sheets, and lilly. if 2 of those 4 stay healthy and pitch healthy all season though, you should be fine.
Anyone have an idea as to who will replace Bell if he’s traded? I’m thinking Mike Adams. I have Luke Gregerson now, but am thinking of dropping him for Ian Kennedy (I love NL West SPs).
Which side would you prefer in a trade for H2H 5X5 (categories)? [McCann, R. Zimmerman, M. Cabrera, Markakis, B. Webb] or [Posada, ARod, A. Gonz., Cruz, Oswalt]. I’d be getting the former with Cano, Reyes, Holliday, Bruce as my remaining core.
@grey: wondering why you say heyward is like braun (at least for the future) but if he made the team in your sleeper post he’s a 12/20 candidate? No more than 12 HR’s this year? Just because he’s a rook?
and WOW mr. baseball, you might have just won longest post ever…. forums? haha…
@Poon: Thanks for the feedback. I’m always taking gambles with pitchers. Hope it works out this year.
Grey
Guy in my league is offering Billy Butler, Jay Bruce and Heath Bell for Justin Morneau. I already have Tex at 1B.
Is this deal a no-brainer? My only reservation is Butler, I’m not sold.
@Grey and whoever else
12 team, head to head league with the following stats:
Hitting:
Runs (R), Home Runs (HR), Runs Batted In (RBI), Stolen Bases (SB), Walks (BB), Batting Average (AVG), On-base Percentage (OBP), Slugging Percentage (SLG)
Pitching:
Wins (W), Losses (L), Saves (SV), Walks (BB), Strikeouts (K), Earned Run Average (ERA), (Walks + Hits)/ Innings Pitched (WHIP), Strikeouts per Nine Innings (K/9)
What do you think?
1. (8) Chase Utley 2B
2. (17) David Wright 3B
3. (32) Justin Morneau 1B
4. (41) Joey Votto 1B
5. (56) Clayton Kershaw SP
6. (65) Jason Bay OF
7. (80) Kendry Morales 1B
8. (89) Matt Wieters C
9. (104) Denard Span OF
10. (113) Julio Borbón OF
11. (128) Jered Weaver SP
12. (137) John Lackey SP
13. (152) A.J. Burnett SP
14. (161) Gavin Floyd SP
15. (176) David Price SP
16. (185) Chad Qualls RP
17. (200) Jason Frasor RP
18. (209) Miguel Tejada SS
19. (224) Ryan Madson RP
20. (233) Clay Buchholz SP
21. (248) J.D. Drew OF
22. (257) Felipe López 2B
23. (272) Ricky Romero SP
24. (281) Sean Rodriguez OF
25. (296) Daniel Bard RP
Sorry, forgot to mention, picks 1-5 were keeper picks.
Nothing but rainbow and puppy dog news on Clement and Sean Rodriguez, I just drafted both of ‘em.
@ Grey: you like Ian Kennedy or Jammel better to close out a rotation? HRA’s count against…also, Kouzmanoff or Edwin Encarnacion as a punted third baseman? Thanks!
@ThePoonTycoon: I’d worry that a 3-man OF that gives you a total of 75 HRs is going to cripple you in that category (and the other offensive stats as well).
I’m looking for a 100 HR OF, if I can get it (and this year I think you can, with guys like Quentin or Bruce late), with my speed from the IF.
@Gray
Long time reader, first time commentor. Love the site. Just drafted in a 12 team H 2 H 6 x 6. Here is what I got. Please let me know what you think: 4 OF 2 Util
C: Iannet (284)
1B: A. Gonz (20)
2B: B. Phil (29) Maybe a reach
ss: Reyes (44)
3B: A. Rod (5)
OF: Lind (68)
OF: Ethier (92)
OF: Car Go (140)
OF: Rasmus (188)
Util: J. Lopez (Sea – 125)
Util: J. Pierre (236)
BN: E. Cab (245), Chris Davis (269)
SP: Wainwright (53), Cole (77), Wandy (101), Slowey (164), Liriano (221), Clay Buch (260)
RP: Valver (116), B. Wilson (149), Dotel (173), Aards (212)
Thanks and keep the good stuff coming!
@Paulie Allnuts: Check out Hank Aaron’s Age 20 season (468AB/.280/13/69) and you’ll get a sniff of what Heyward is (and isn’t) capable of this year. 20 is very, very young.
Looking for some advice. I’m in a 6×6 head to head keeper league with OPS and quality starts as the extra categories. Also net SB and net Saves. A few surprise drops came up and I’m not sure what way to go as I woefully played my way into the #1 pick last year.
My 7 keepers are:
R. Halladay
D. Haren
BossMan Jr.
K. Morales
C. Quentin
Aramis Ramirez
A. Soriano
Not great I know. The cream of the draft pool is.
Z. Greinke
N. Cruz
A. Ethier
B. Roberts
A. Hill
Greinke seems obvious but I have 2 aces and there are a lot of “If I don’t get a pitcher from the previous tier, I’ll need someone from this tier.” tier pitchers in the draft pool. But with those keepers I need a sure thing. Any advice
Hey grey, in a 12 team H2H, would you drop furcal and take a gamble on ian desmond or wait and see?
@Moth: I’m not a keeper-league expert, but with that crop, Greinke is so far head and shoulders above the others I can’t see how you pass him up. That’s what #1 picks are for, after all.
Worse case, you trade a starter for a hitter that’s two classes above any of Hill, Cruz or Ethier.
@Eric:
I agree with PoonTycoon, your team looks loaded. I really like your top 5 SP’s and your OF.
I think you might be a little light on SB’s from what I can see but you probably have enough to at least finish in the in the middle of the pack in that category.
@Grey: Sell high on Jason Heyward to grab Roy Oswalt?
@Baron Von Vulturewins: maybe but with uggla, hanley, and stewart/davis at 2B, SS, and 3B, i think he’s gonna have plenty of IF power (it’s hard to imagine a more power heavy IF at those spots unless someone has both utley and tulo along with a top 6 3B). it anything, i’d hope to upgrade my UTIL spots.
@Moth: draft grienke, then see if you can trade haren + soriano for someone like holliday.
@Eric H.: I’d wait, let the hype build, and aim higher. Oswalt ’10 is not your father’s Oswalt.
@ paulie…why the long face? Nadir bupkus is available to replace kinsler and you and Fred can have a tug of war over Maine and cj Wilson to replace lee…..one more week!
@ThePoonTycoon: One other stray thought on the slap-and-speed crowd.
In my experience, balanced players are good to own but impossible to trade. Midseason, if you’re looking to cook up a swap, it’s easy to approach someone and say “You need HRs. I offer Uggla.” Or “You need steals. I offer Bourn.”
It’s really hard to say, “You need better balance. How about Hunter Pence?”
No one looking to address one category ever salivates for an middling-across-the-board guy.
@Ja ckie: Kennedy
@and1mcgee: Johnson, Desmond, Sean-Rod… He doesn’t look like he’s going to be solid in average.
@Chris: Ha!
@Steve: Yup, Johnson
@Bill: You do have pitching surplus, but I don’t think Figgins is that best use of that.
@Commish Cauda (formerly Mike): Lewis
@Commish Cauda (formerly Mike): I’d want Zimmerman there.
@Eddy: Aw, thanks, Eddy, that was nice of you to say.
@Jesse: I’d want Bartlett there.
@JRT: Desmond
@Baron Von Vulturewins: Ha!
@MikeE: Feliz isn’t starting the year as a starter.
@Paulie Allnuts: You missed the heading? Frazier – Diane Chambers.
@Charlie: I wouldn’t.
@Martin: Sean-Rod
@ThePoonTycoon: Maybin’s going to give more speed, same to drop Desmond though.
@Krys: Sean-Rod
@polczek5: You shouldn’t be filling up UTIL on the 3rd draft pick.
@Jobu’s Rum: Adams
@TY: Cause he’s like 12 years old.
@nick m.: Too many guys.
@Kgatch: I’d take the Butler side.
@Tarasco’sSecretStash: Kouz/Kennedy
@Suck My Wieters: Looks like you went the safe route over the flashy, upside route, which is cool. Might not be the most exciting team, but could work out for you.
@PaddyTwoTimes: Thanks for the kind words! I like your hitting a lot, good solid core with some upside guys later on. I think Lopez could probably fill in for Phillips on a H2H team and lose the steals from B-Phills, then you trade Phillips for a piece you really need. Right now, it’s nothing, but it will be something at some point, it always is.
@ABell: Wait and see.
@Matthole: Ha!
@Eric H.: yeah, i hold out on trading heyward now, cause if he has a big april, no telling what kinda SP you could get for him. maybe even something like lester or gallardo or hamels??
@Gray:
Thanks Gray; you are the only fantasy commentator that actually responds. I like it.
One last question when you get a chance…has Wandy scared you at all this spring or is it just spring?
Which side would you rather be on in a 14 team 5×5 roto league:
Jroll/Phillips/Crush Davis
or
HanRam/Votto
@Grey:
So would you advise sitting put and seeing what happens, or is there someone who would be a better target?
16-team H2H-POINTS League that uses HOLDS and BLOWN SAVES in addition to SAVES
We start 5 SPs and 2 RPs. I own both Soria and Wagner. I’m a little weak at SP.
Trade Soria for Tim Hudson, or aim a for a little better SP?
There are a lot of high upside MRs still available to fill Soria’s spot, (Mike Adams, Jim Johnson, League, Motte, Putz, Sherrill, Medlen, Neshek, JP Howell)
@Matthole: The headlines will be brutal for you: “C.J. & Maine No-No on the same day! Who would ‘a thunk?” Fred and Paulie!!!
@quimmy: HanRam/Votto, by a lot.
Don’t trade quality for quantity before Opening Day.
@grey- Sean rod or La porta (branyan is on the dl)
Frasor has been named Toronto’s closer by manager Cito Gaston, the Calgary Sun reports. “Jason Frasor was my closer last year and he hasn’t done anything to lose the job,” Gaston said.
Ugh, I have Oswalt. I knew this would happen and it’d be a long season with him. I can’t even trade him because the word is out.
@PaddyTwoTimes: Just spring.
@Bill: Staying put for now.
@Commish Cauda: Little better SP.
@Martin: Sean-Rod
@Awesomus Maximus: Yeah, that’s what it seemed like when I wrote this yesterday.
@Tom Emanski: You have to ask Ed Wade to tell you before anything’s announced to the public.
Wordsmith.org/anagram/
Ian Desmond = Demand Is On, plus 2115 other options.
Hey grey i was wondering if you could give me some comments on my team as to what i need to improve… its a 14 team league and i had the 14th pick
C: Ianetta (239)
1B: M. Cabrera (14)
2B: I. Stewart (99)
3B: D. Wright (15)
SS: Andrus (98)
OF: Granderson (42)
OF: Bruce (126)
OF: Quentin (154)
UTIL :Reimold (210)
SP: Verlander (43)
SP: Hamels (70)
SP: Nolasco (71)
SP: Slowey (155)
RP: Marmol (127)
RP: Capps (238)
BN: Cueto (182), Price(183), Buchholz (211), Perez (266)
Im worried about being light on steals and what Reimold has to offer but he fell so much i jumped on him but theres still guys like Rasmus and ever cab on waivers cause the league really values SP so i reached early to get a solid roster there
Last question with clement getting everyday ABs being at first and Ianetta splitting time you still like Ianetta over Clement?
@Grey: Yeah, we all knew it was imminent. I just figured the “official word” was worth a comment post. I finally let Chapman loose in the 5 of my 9 leagues where Frasor was still available. I figure, a “secure” closer is worth a lot more than a possible “stud-to-trade-before-he-burns-out”.
@Awesomus Maximus: Totally, thanks for the update.
Setting up the roster for the first week, and have a few options. I am thinking that I should go for power potential first, and bulk up on speed later, thoughts?
Ramon Hernandez CIN
C UT Bench J.R. Towles HOU
1B CI UT Bench Albert Pujols STL
2B MI UT Bench Jose Lopez SEA
3B CI UT Bench Ryan Zimmerman WAS
MI SS UT Bench Stephen Drew ARZ
2B MI UT 3B CI Bench Ian Stewart COL
1B CI UT Bench Paul Konerko CWS
OF UT Bench Jayson Werth PHI
OF UT Bench Grady Sizemore CLE
OF UT Bench Denard Span MIN
OF UT Bench Adam Jones BAL
3B CI UT OF Bench Chase Headley SD
MI SS UT Bench Everth Cabrera
Bench…..Dexter Fowler
Do I put Fowler in for Cabrera or leave it put.
@Grey: Had my 10 team draft last night. 5×5 Roto. Going from 3 keepers last year to 7 keepers this year. I didn’t have my 2nd or 4th picks so I reached a little with Lester and Phillips as my first two picks. Other than that I’m pretty happy. I know my average is terrible but I think my power numbers can easily outweigh that.
C: Miguel Montero
1b: Albert Pujols (Keeper 1)
2b: Brandon Phillips
3b: Kevin Youkilis (Keeper 2)
SS: Alcides Escobar
MI: Ian Stewart
CI: Robot Jones
OF: Nelly Cruz
OF: Carlos Quentin
OF: Matt Kemp (Keeper 3)
OF: Hunter Pence
OF: Jay Bruce
U: Chris Davis
U: Travis Snider
SP: Jon Lester
SP: Ricky Nolasco
SP: Scott Baker
SP: Jonathan Sanchez
SP: Johnny Cueto
RP: Carlos Marmol
RP: Frank Franc
RP: Octavio Dotel
Bn: Ervin Santana
Bn: Gio Gonzalez
Bn: Kevin Correia
Bn: Franklin Morales
Bn: Sean Rodriguez
DL: Kerry Wood
on the flip side, is clement a good razzball 1b option?
Keeper league draft results. 13 team mixed league. I managed to assumble the oldest OF in history, but I got all of them at good value picks (except Kemp, who was a keeper). We have 3 SP slots, 2 RP slots, and 4 flex pitcher spots. Comments welcome:
C: Napoli
1B: Pujols
2B: Kinsler
SS: A. Ramirez
3B: Mini Donkey
IF: Robot Jones
OF: Kemp
OF: Manny
OF: Abreu
OF: A. Soriano
UTIL: EverCab
SP: Santana
SP: Beckett
SP: Webb (computer malfunction choice for which I’m kicking self)
RP: Aardsma
RP: Nunez
P: Price
P: J. Sanchez
P: Morales
P: Correia
Bench: Tillman, Rodney, Downs
Just drafted 10 team 6×6 roto (OBP, OBPagainst)
Any weaknesses I should address?
C Matt Wieters
1B Justin Morneau
2B Scott Sizemore
3B Ryan Zimmerman
SS José Reyes
CI Gordon Beckham
MI Alcides Escobar
OF Ryan Braun
OF Justin Upton
OF Curtis Granderson
OF Carlos González
Util Jason Heyward
BN Lance Berkman
SP Jon Lester
SP Cole Hamels
RP Billy Wagner
RP Chad Qualls
P Ricky Nolasco
P Jered Weaver
P Matt Garza
BN Jonathan Sánchez
BN Frank Francisco
BN Trevor Hoffman
BN Mike González
BN Octavio Dotel
Just finished a draft, 12 team keeper (keep up to 6), 5×6 (holds), the league has been going for a few years and I’m joining this year, so I had a lot of picks in the early rounds where mostly everybody else had keepers…(overall draft pick numbers are including keepers, so they’re off a bit for the early rounds)
1. (2) Joey Votto
2. (23) Ryan Zimmerman
3. (26) Curtis Granderson
4. (47) Justin Verlander
5. (50) Nelson Cruz
6. (71) Jon Lester
7. (74) Adam Jones
8. (95) Ricky Nolasco
9. (98) Dan Uggla
10. (119) Carlos Marmol
11. (122) Carlos Pena
12. (143) Billy Wagner
13. (146) Ryan Dempster
14. (167) Elvis Andrus
15. (170) Mike Napoli
16. (191) Kevin Slowey
17. (194) Matt Capps
18. (215) Phil Hughes
19. (218) Daniel Bard
20. (239) Johnny Damon
21. (242) Nick Masset
22. (263) Garrett Jones
23. (266) Takashi Saito
24. (287) Dexter Fowler
I wasn’t crazy about taking Pena or Damon, but the value seemed too good to pass up at the time…
@John: I address Iannetta vs. Clement in the post above, don’t I? Your team looks very strong for a 14 team league. Your pitching’s so strong, I’m wondering how you drafted that offense, which is a good thing. Probably helps a bit there’s no MI or CI, but still your hitting is filled with good power/speed guys, minus Miggy, but it’s not like he’s bad. Even the late round starters are nice upside picks. Overall, well done.
@Nate Marcum: Seems like this question is at least 5 days early. Fowler for Everth? They’re the same thing.
@timSTi: Nice power/speed with the hitting. Hopefully, Alcides pans out, but he could give you headaches in a 10 team league. Nice balancing of WHIP in the pitching staff, as it looks solid. I assuming Gio’s a keeper flier, not sure it’s going to work, but can’t hurt at this point, I suppose.
@brad: He is.
@Art Vandelay: Yeah, with that outfield, your team is subject to breakdown at any point, then throw in Kinsler and Robot Jones and you could have hitting problems. I’d imagine the projections will say you’re fine, except for a lack of steals, but you could have bigger fish to fry. Your pitching doesn’t look that dominant either.
Austin Jackson to bat leadoff like its his birfday…gonna play CF like its his birfday…he don’t give a Cust cuz its his birfday!
@brad: Not right now.
@Adam: Pena, Damon, Jones and Andrus are steals there. With only 6 hitters in the first 120 picks, it’s a good thing you got value from those picks otherwise your hitting would be a complete mess. As it stands now, I think you have decent hitting and very solid pitching, with 3 possibly 4 number ones.
@Tom Reale: Hehe
Grey, nice post! I think you covered every Ian in the majors right now.
Would you drop Correia for Ian Kennedy?
@GTS: Ha, yeah, I think I did. No, I wouldn’t make that drop.
Do I drop Soto for Jeff Clement?
@Grey: Thanks for the breakdown. I wasn’t sure how the team sat on speed w/o Alcides. You think he’s expendable? His only purpose is cheap steals at an MI spot. And Gio was my last pick for exactly your reasons. I don’t mind stashing a rookie who has a potential for a ridiculous K/9.
@Grey: I forgot to mention, there’s only 3 OF and no MI or CI, just one Util…does that make it better? I’ve been shopping Dempster around to try to upgrade somewhere, preferably 2B…I think Uggla + Pena = Me killing myself after their sixth straight combined 0/10 with 8 k’s
@Grey: After just reviewing the Oakland A’s depth chart, it seems that they too have a staff infection.
@timSTi: I think Alcides is a great late round sleeper and not expendable, but he’s better at MI in a 10 team league. I’d hold him for now.
@Adam: It makes it better, yeah. Uggla + Pena could be trouble, yeah.
@Tom Reale: Ha!
@Grey: Just finished my 12-Team H2H yahoo! league draft.
Team: Chicago Mike
C Geovany Soto (14th)
1B Joey Votto (2nd)
2B José López (13th)
3B Ryan Zimmerman (3rd)
SS Alcides Escobar (19)
OF Ryan Braun (1st)
OF Hunter Pence (9th)
OF Julio Borbón (11th)
UTIL Aramis Ramírez (4th)
BN Jay Bruce (16th)
SP Adam Wainwright (5th)
SP Ubaldo Jiménez (7th)
RP Mariano Rivera (6th)
RP Carlos Mármol (10th)
P Wandy Rodríguez (8th)
P Brett Anderson (12th)
P Roy Oswalt (15th)
P Chris Pérez (17th)
BN Johnny Cueto (18)
BN Clay Buchholz (20)
BN Joe Blanton (21)
BN Phil Hughes (22)
Team: Danny
C Bengie Molina
1B Albert Pujols
2B A. Hill
3B Youkilis
SS Evereth Cabrera
OF Sizemore
OF Ethier
OF Ibanez
Util Berkman
BN Rasmus
SP Verlander
SP Kershaw
RP R. Soriano
RP Street
P Hamels
P Sheets
P Kazmir
BN R. Franklin
BN R. Wolf
BN M. Gonzalez
BN Lilly
BN W. Davis
I’m in the same league as Danny above…who’s team do you like better? What do you think of our teams? Which areas do we need improvement? I know your big on upside but I feel like I may have focused a little too much on upside. I’m not sure about my $12 dollar salad decision but the two guys I was targeting there got taken. I’m nervous about Buchholz he had a terrible spring.
@Grey: Cheers on Dying Chambers.
@Grey:
Thanks for the comments Grey. I was pretty happy coming out of the draft with my team and i didnt really like the miggy pick too much but i figured at 14 i had to take him with the value i was getting there.
And on the clement thing yeah you answered it i just had a brain fart and i just typed something different then what i had wanted to ask in my head. I actually wanted to ask you what you projected the AB’s for Ianetta and Clement would be for this season
@Grey: i have plenty of speed but in a 10 team 7×7,ss barmes,evercab or theriot?
@Moth: Looks like you need a 2B. I would take Roberts.
Could you guys recommend where I can find a decent cheatsheet for a standard redraft mixed auction league? Thanks
Oh, and it’s a 12 team league.
@Chicago Mike: Danny’s pitching is better than yours, your hitting is marginally better, but not much of a difference.
@Tom Reale: Ha!
@John: No problem… Iannetta at 350-400, Clement at 400.
@AL KOHOLIC: Barmes if you have the speed.
@Howard: http://razzball.com/2010-fantasy-baseball-rankings/2010-razzball-projected-point-shares-12-team/
@Grey: Thoughts on aki iwamura as sleeper MI…he’s hitting leadoff for Bucs..thx
Got this offer in my 14 team 5×5 roto league:
I give: JRoll/Fowler
I get: Morneau/Borbon
My 1B now are Laroche and Crush Davis. I would slot in Ian Desmond at SS.
Who wins this trade?
Matt Kemp
Justin Morneau
Jose Lopez
Ryan Franklin
for
Chase Utley
Kevin Youkilis
Chad Qualls
I would be getting the Utley side. I have AGon as my 1B and Morneau at Utility, but this would allow me to slide in Youkilis at 3B instead of Chris Davis.
Desmond, Evereth Cabrera, or Alcides Escobar?
I need the SB, so I’m thinking Esco right now.
Also no dropping Napoli for Clement, right?
Any thoughts on Buster Posey? Likelihood of playing time if does make the team and what not?
I currently have no catcher in my main league, gonna pick one up when Berkman starts the year on the DL. Should I pick up Posey or a bum like aj pierzynski?
Grey –
I just drafted my 12 team 7×7 team (OPS & 2B added) and during the draft thought things were going swimmingly, however I woke up this morning and realized the my OF is terrifying. We have 4OF positions and here are all of the OFers in my roster
Grady Sizemore
Carlos Quentin
Jay Bruce
Franklin Gutierrez
Kyle Blanks
Dexter Fowler (likely to get dumped in favor of a pitcher)
I look at that group and just see downside risk. Should I look to make a move for a more stable OF (Werth, Markakis, Cruz, etc…) or would you be comfortable rolling the dice with that group?
@Grey: What Matthole said. Aki’s an interesting WW MI.
Also: Rate these starters in the order which you like them (H2H counting QS)
Latos, Kennedy, Matt Harrison, Morrow, Duchscherer
I know you’re feeling Latos, as am I especially since I’ve done biz with a guy named Latos once. Latos seems to have the best potential, but his arm’s already barking and I don’t see him throwing more than 125 innings right now.
Guy on ESPN had a piece on Harrison which perked my interest. How’s Duch been this spring? I had him 2 years ago, so I have a soft spot there but he’s a Glass Joe.
Kennedy looks like the AZ #3 (!) right now, and he gets to pitch against the Pods and GZA’s a lot. I was a little shocked to see how good his peripherals have been through his brief career.
Any help’s appreciated. I’m definitely short a good arm, so I’m looking at breakout potential this year. I’d hate to have to go the way of streaming Padilla’s and Pavano’s…
@Brian: Kemp side.
@Grey:
I think Kennedy is technically the #3 starter in Arizona right now? Unless he gets totally shelled I think the job is his for good just because there’s not much else behind him.
@Mets Fan. I’d go Esco. I whiffed on him and ended up with E-Cab and Desmond. Throw the rookies against a wall and see what sticks.
@Matthole: Blech
@quimmy: It’s fair, looks good for you.
@metsfan: Everth — No.
@Maitland: He’s starting the year in the minors.
@Ben the M: On that team, Blanks should probably be the first to go.
@BaboonHeart: Morrow, Kennedy…
@Elijah: Gotcha.
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