Member those days when you and your buddies sat around your one buddy’s DJ equipment? You know, the buddy who claimed to be a DJ but really wasn’t any good at all and only played at other friends’ parties. Member how you used to sniff glue? Good times, indeed. Wait, what was I saying? Stupid huffing short-term memory killer. Oh, yeah, getting high. That was me with Elvis Andrus. I was a bit too high on Andrus last year. I mean, he hasn’t been bad this year. Just wasn’t quite as crazysexycool as I thought he might be. But you know what 2011 is? The year the Mayans cash in their savings bonds as they prepare for the collapse of all banks? No, random italicized voice, it’s a new year. It’s a new year when Andrus, who is still 21 years old, can get even better. Even better from a 2010 season that was nothing to sneeze at, unless you’re allergic to productive shortstops. So far this year, nice runs, no power, blech RBIs, good steals and a decent average. Or as I like to call it, better than anyone at shortstop not named Reyes, Hanley and Tulo. (Maybe Furcal, but you didn’t own Furcal all year. ACTUALLY, I DID OWN HIM ALL YEAR. No, you didn’t, Mister Mad Caps. DAMN, FOOL, YOU GOT ME. CAPS OUT.) So what can we expect of Elvis Andrus next year and why is he a 2011 fantasy baseball keeper?
Steals, doode. Massive amounts of steals. From 2009 to 2010, his OBP has gone from .329 to .357. His walk rate went from 7.4% to 10.3%. Even through his slumps, Washington has stuck with him in the leadoff spot. No reason that should change next year. If there’s one thing the Rangers can do (especially at home) is mollywhop. I.e. Andrus will have more runs than you after a visit to Taco Bell. The RBIs are nonexistent, but he’s a speedy leadoff hitter, what do you want? I could actually see him hit for some power next year. I don’t think 5 homers is completely out of the question. Now for his most valuable commodity. Next year at the ripe age of 22, he could tack 10 steals onto the 35 steal pace he has this year. 45 steals, 5 homers with a good OBP from a leadoff hitter in a good lineup? And you wonder why I’m so high on Andrus.
Appropriate post considering this is the 33rd anniversary of Elvis’ death.
Speaking of speed, E.Y. to get long look at leadoff; Hawpe, Giambi or Barmes could be put on DL or sent down in order to make room for Chacin.
http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_15789203
@Nate: See that, I’m timely. Even inadvertently.
@royce!: Awesome, great news.
Would you start Minor vs WAS?
Would you trade Johan/Marcum for Greinke/Upton if you were solid on pitching and greinke/upton were keepable for next year? In my mind, I like my keeper team better with Greinke trending up than Johan trending down… and my roto pitching stats have been ridiculous this year. Also, who knows, Upton could always do something.
need message board inspiration for the following situation:
following arencibia’s debut i traded him to commish of a keeper league for johan. commish has veto power. apparently 2 people e-mailed him expressing concern over the trade. 1 e-mailed him saying it was ok. (this is a 16 team league mind you). commish (perhaps feeling buyer’s remorse) said he would do the democratic thing and veto the trade.
for what it’s worth the commish is in 1st place and i’m middle of the pack. i am moderately upset about the goings on, seems a bit bush league to me, am i wrong?
How would you rank these for the rest of the season? Vazquez, Brett Anderson, Dickey. Thanks.
Daniel Hudson or Bumgarner the rest of the way?
I approve of this message.
I was somehow able to add Mike Stanton in a 10 team keeper. Would you consider keeping him over Werth?
Also, I hate Ben Zobrist.
@brad: I think that’s BS. In a keeper league, I see nothing wrong with that trade. And by wrong, I mean that I don’t think that it looks like collusion. The commissioner should not have vetoed it; in fact, the commissioner should have recused himself and permitted by all members of the league on whether the trade should be vetoed. And both you and the commissioner should not be able to vote on the outcome (which is probably irrelevant, because you would presumably vote yes and him no).
Santana should be yours.
@bravo: Yup
@cubbies299: I would.
@brad: Completely bush league. Ask the commish if you should email the entire league first before offering him a trade because they obviously have to approve of his moves.
@ThumbScrewed: Anderson, Vazquez….
@CalCheats: Bumgarner
@Anonymous: Don’t know any of your specifics or when you have to decide by. Werth could be playing somewhere else next year (say Petco) and that would change his value dramatically.
Roll the dice on Chacin this week? Im am thinking about plugging him in over..wainwright. My other SP’s are J.J., Nolasco, Clay and Wandy.
Wandy (NYM, @FLA), Scherzer (@NYY, CLE), or Hudson (CIN, COL) this week? Thanks.
@sal: Over the best pitcher in the major leagues?
@Black Beard: Wandy
@Grey: Keep 6 in a 10 team H2H 6×6 with OPS. My other 5 keepers are Miggy, Hanley, CC, Halladay and Wainwright. I don’t know when we need to finalize our keepers by.
@sal: Don’t go with Chacin over Wainwright.
@Black Beard: Hudson
Snider fowler ibanez beltran or drew the rest of the year? Fowler and snider aren’t playing everyday and the other three are old or cold.
@Todd: If you have a deep bench, I’d go with Snider and play him against righties only. If you need someone to be in your active lineup every day, it depends on what stats you need but I’d lean towards Ibanez.
@Grey: my Cain/Ibanez for his Capps/Chris B. Young… of the four, Young and Ibanez are eligible for keeper potential next year for $5 and $2 respectively. This year I need saves and SBs–SAGNOF!!! 4×4 league… thoughts?
@Grey: I know I know… 1 part wanting to take a chance – 2 parts I can afford to do it since I have my playoff spot locked up.
@Grey: so I guess I’ll just go with wainwright, and to scratch the whole “chance” itch I’ll go to AC and put my paycheck on one of the tables… so my question is now black or red? trick question – the answer is green.
Two tidbits from roto world:
Cruz back on DL (shocking)
Latos not being shut down. Seems still usable even for playoffs
http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&hl=301452&id=4570
Elvis is not dead. I seen em.
With Jenks finely-tuned physique mysteriously breaking down and other Putzian performances in the back end of the Sox bullpen, I could see Thornton getting some save chances. Then again, Ozzie’s nuts, so who knows. Anyhow, should I drop Axford or Perez for Thornton? It’s a 5×5 roto league.
@Anonymous: You should find out when you have to finalize keepers, but Stanton for now.
@Todd: Snider
@Howie: I’d want Young.
@sal: I would’ve said green too.
@paddytwotimes: Thanks for the heads up! Yeah, no shocker.
@Earl Battey: Nope
Prior to 2010, Elvis had at least 5 HR every year of his professional career (dating back to 2006). This year = 0.
I hate that 0. It makes me angry. Almost as angry as Washington putting the brakes on him. Even if he had 1 measly HR, at least I wouldn’t have to see that big, gaping 0 every time I look at his stats.
@Grey: First time, long time… *cough cough* the Mets should trade Benny Agbayani *cough cough* and Masato Yoshii for Luis Gonzalez… sorry I was channeling Doris from Rego Park (RIP) there for a second…
Dump Arencibia for Ramon Hernandez, IvRod or Jaso? Standard five + OBP.
Would you drop Jaime for any of these two-starters this week: Chacin, Hunter, Jeanmar, Wells?
Got the 6th and final playoff spot now by 8.5 games and I’m 11 games out of 1st place (top regular season record wins a nice chunk of change), so every win counts!
@peter: Yeah, I do think psychologically the 0 changes peoples’ perception of him.
@3FingersBrown: Ha… Jaso…Chacin…
This is old and immature news, but I just discovered that Albert Pujols has a cousin named Harry. One would think he would go by Harold, but I suppose that he would get less hits for his design website: http://www.harrypujols.com/
@3FingersBrown: Thank you for the Doris from Rego Park reference. One of the single things I’ve missed the most since moving to the west coast a while back is, unquestionably, Steve Somers.
@royce!: Ha!
@peter: @3FingersBrown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO9mh4ieYkE
@Grey: I got offered Cliff Lee, Holliday and either Guthrie or Westbrook for my Timmy, Haren and Swisher. Do you prefer Guthrie or Westbrook?
@Grey: I forgot he also offered me Slowey instead of Guthrie or Westbrook.
H2H-POINTS LEAGUE
Pick TWO
Daniel Hudson: vsCIN (Arroyo) & vsCOL (Chacin)
J. Chacin: @LA (Kershaw) & @ARI (Hudson)
B. Zito: @PHI (Oswalt) & @STL (Lohse)
Colby Lewis: @BAL (Matusz)
I’d love some advice. I’m in a 16 team H2H keeper league. Our trade deadline is this Friday. I was offered Wieters for Stanton, straight up. I already have Crawford and CarGo as OF keepers for next year. I recently lost Soto at C, and under our league rules I could not have kept him anyway, so I’m using whichever schmohawk I can find on waivers at C right now. Do I take the deal?
BTW I’m playing to win it this season. Currently the 3rd seed in an 8 team playoff format.
Report is that K-Rod has a torn ligament in his thumb; might be out for the season. Who’s the pickup?
@royce!: Much like his cousin, Harry appears to know what he is doing.
Some of that stuff is quite nice.
@Black Beard: Noooo!
@Black Beard: i second this question. i’d think it’s feliciano, but what do i know?
@Eddie: i wouldn’t.
@brad: I think I just threw up in my mouth.
@Black Beard: I have no idea, considering this from Friday:
Mets manager Jerry Manual said he’d pick a closer from Feliciano, Hisanori Takahashi, Manny Acosta and Bobby Parnell based on matchups while Francisco Rodriguez serves a two-game suspension, the team’s official web site reports.
@royce!: Blech. I was going to drop Lyon for a Met, but based on that I’m better off keeping Lyon and my Lindstrom voodoo doll.
@Mark Geoffriau: Yep. And various closer depth charts list different RPs as next in line- KFFL has Parnell, ESPN Takahashi, Roto Times seems to be favoring Feliciano, NY Post jumped the gun and said Igarashi replaces KRod (http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/igarashi_replaces_rod_Bph8LAIgMY7Jn0OFPFKBPI ), so… anyone’s call, I suppose.
@Grey: loney or pena in a weekly league?
@royce!: good ol’ NYP always stretching the truth just to get the headline. he did replace krod on the roster i guess.
It seems to me that an organization that is willing to pay top dollar for a closer would have an interest in establishing one player as the closer, so I’m going to guess that the Mets will not play the closer by committee game for very long, if they do at all. That said, I think it comes down to what sort of player one could infer that Manuel would prefer in the closer role– the young, hard throwing Parnell (95.7 mph avg FB), the more experienced, but wild Feliciano (4.9 BB/9 in 2010), or the wild card, Takahashi?
I feel very lucky that I am leading in saves in both of my roto leagues.
FWIW, Takahashi did record 15 saves in 2006.
@Fletch: Lee, Holliday and Slowey looks good.
@Commish Cauda: Lewis, Chacin…
@Eddie: Nope
@Black Beard: Takahashi…
@herschel: Pena
Drop Wuertz for Takahashi or Thornton?
@Dumbmutt: Nope
@Grey: Well, that’ll learn me. I picked up Takahashi for my sister’s team earlier this season.
Who would you grab next? ‘Jose’ Feliciano? Ah – all those TV show themes from my 70s childhood!
Or do you stay away from the whole mess?
Danny Hudson or Hellickson the rest of the way.
Drop my long lost cousin Alfredo Simon for Takahashi?
@Steve: Parnell would be my 2nd choice, I wouldn’t mess with any of them unless you’re lost K-Rod and/or desperate.
@Carl Spackler: Hudson
@dsimon: No idea you guys were related. I’d hold.
@Grey: I’ve got someone I can drop (Raburn) from today’s short schedule day. I’m left with Wags and Heilman, so I guess I’m semi-desperate.
And if Parnell doesn’t close, he might get me a Hold ot two.
This is all in my H2H, BTW.
@Steve: Sure, lose Raburn.
Well the K-Rod fiasco hit my team, as well. However, being this is my 8 Team H2H league, I still have a puncher’s chance. Here’s my pitching staff:
JJ, Kershaw, Lincecum, Verlander, Hamels, Lilly, Floyd, D. Hudson (will be dropping him either tonight or tomorrow for Utley), Soria, Feliz, Capps, K-Rod
Best available RP options:
Kuo, Wuertz, Hanrahan, Lyon, Mike G., Thornton, Putz, New Mets Closer
Best available SP options:
Slowey, Scherzer (once he clears waivers tomorrow), Hellickson (once he clears waivers Wednesday), Arroyo, Ervin, Pelfrey, Hi-Me, Chacin, Vazquez, Dickey, T. Wood
Do I drop K-Rod for an available RP, and if so, which one?
But, I do still have 3 solid closers, so, on the other hand: Do I drop K-Rod for an available SP, instead, and if so, which one?
Thanks man.
@Grey: David, Alfred, and I get together once a year for a lake trout sandwich and a can of Natty Bo.
@peter: @Grey: In the immortal words of Casey Stengel: “Amazin’ amazin’ amazin’!” Thanks for that one Grey. I’m going to pass that around to a few friends who’d get a kick out of that. She always had the best trade offers.
Love the Schmooze. Somers is my copilot while I drive around my ‘hood looking for parking at 1am. You don’t miss Jerome From Manhattan, Peter? The anti-Doris!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMv2K_VN61k&feature=related
@Wilsonian: Nice pun. Grab Scherzer for now.
@dsimon: Ha!
@3FingersBrown: Nice!
@3FingersBrown: God I love crazy sports fans.
@Grey: Drop K-Rod for which of Storen, Heilman, Lyon, Hanrahan, Putz, Random Met. A half dozen options, none of them pleasant.
@Anonymous: Storen
Also @Grey: Determine keepers by the beginning of Spring Training. (so roughly late February, right?)
@Grey: Grey, I just dropped Rauch for Takahashi. Do you think I should lose Dotel for another NYM crap shoot? Parnell probably…Maybe Acosta?? Looks like Kuo is getting any save chances in LA.
@Anonymous: Mid- to late-February, yeah.
@GopherDay: Parnell
@Grey: Thanks Grey!
@Grey: Different league, more closer questions. I’ve got Feliz, Street, Simon for saves; Benoit and Adams for Holds and Mike G for whatever he ends up doing. Do I drop Mike G for Brad “Walking the” Lidge or keep a monopoly on the Baltimore closing shituation?
@GopherDay: No problem.
@Anonymous: Drop Simon for Lidge.
Utility spot…would you rather have Adam Lind or Aramis Ramirez.
@Grey: I love Simon’s SP eligibility though. allows me to have 6 relievers on any given day.
@Grey: The wacko fans are the only reason to listen to sports talk radio. The lullaby that is Steve Somers doing the over-night is soothing to the soul. Like warm milk to help you get to bed…
I’m mulling over Chacin > Jaime… Only problem is I only have 12 total moves left (before dumping J.P. for Jaso) though and I should be able to beat my opponent this week pretty easily. Think I’ll save my moves for a tough match-up this week and hopefully the playoffs.
So happy to not have any part of the Mets bullpen situation. This is going to be ugly folks. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chad Cordero come up from AAA Buffalo and get the call in the 9th. No, really.
@Grey: Raburn!
@CalCheats: Lind
@Anonymous: Then lose Mike G.
@3FingersBrown: re: fans – And New York and Boston really take the cake in that department. re: Mets – Yeah, scary.
@Steve: Ha
13th CS for Andrus tonight, to keep his value down
@Grey: thanks! Assuming Scherzer is snagged off of waivers tonight (I can’t make a claim, I dropped him for Hellickson’s start yesterday), what kind of move would you make?
For clarity’s sake:
JJ, Kershaw, Lincecum, Verlander, Hamels, Lilly, Floyd, D. Hudson (will be dropping him either tonight or tomorrow for Utley), Soria, Feliz, Capps, K-Rod
Best available RP options:
Kuo, Wuertz, Hanrahan, Lyon, Mike G., Thornton, Putz, New Mets Closer
Best available SP options:
Slowey, Scherzer (once he clears waivers tomorrow), Hellickson (once he clears waivers Wednesday), Arroyo, Ervin, Pelfrey, Hi-Me, Chacin, Vazquez, Dickey, T. Wood, keep D.Hudson
What do you think of Granderson and Garza for Colby Lewis? I would be getting Lewis and I can’t convince myself because Grandy and Garza were top picks and Lewis was undrafted. I could pick up Murphy, Snider or Drew, so include one of those in the trade.
Grandy’s been terrible all year and I hate starting him, and Garza has been mediocre.
@VinWins: All in service of the bigger picture…
@Wilsonian: Slowey for now, but try for Scherzer or Hellickson.
@second: Looks fair for you, grab Murphy.
Grey,
I could use some offensive insight. I am first in my league but have been having problems on O. I have Damon on the bench. Would you drop him for D. Murphy, Brantley, Snider, Burrell (yuch!)?
Thanks Grey and please continue to keep up the great work. I too look forward to picking up some of these 2010 underachievers next season.
Lee and Price good duel through 4. Ump has nice strike zone to help out.
@yankees2010: Lose him for Murphy, unless you need teals then Brantley. No problem.
@VinWins: Really? Price just got squeezed and Lee did before.
yeah, saw that. Lee got inside and outside pitches called strikes before that; plus a couple high strikes.
@VinWins: You Wins. Emoticon.
@Grey: thanks again. I’ll shoot for Scherzer tomorrow morning. Side note: do you think Hellickson somehow stays in the rotation?
@Wilsonian: Nope
I guess he used up all his generosity already. Or else they changed umps.
Come on Dodgers. Help your boy out.
As a poster previously said, I own Grandy and do not enjoy starting him for his sheer suckiness. He manages to go for a two to three game burst where he is really productive, but the rest of the time he is hitless and pulling down my numbers. I have heard all about him re-working his swing, and I hope it works, but in all honesty I do not see him pulling out of it this season. So, if I were to cut him loose, which one of these guys would you go for?
Steals are something I am in need of along with the usual stuff. Pence, Bourn, Rasmus, Pierre, Span…I am leaning towards Pence, but tell me if I am wrong. And if you think Grandy will work a miracle this season.
@Grey: that’s what I thought and that’s very unfortunate.
Not a red-letter day for the bag-swipers. Grandy, Reyes and Elvis all caught stealing.
Elvis twice – the irony! (emoticon)
@ViagraFalls: Pence is available? Definitely him over Grandy. I’d take the rest of them (except Pierre) over Grandy as well, but Pence #1.
Why Now Kuo.
The Dodgers reliever who comes into the game earlier than you expect him to.
@Grey:
Uhhhh….so when am I ever able to take Chris Johnson out of my UTIL slot?
@Steve: Premature defenestration!
@Steve: Looks like the Dodgers can’t pitch Kuo on consecutive days, but they can pitch him for 2 innings. Weird.
@ViagraFalls: Pence
@Steve: Hehe
@Steve: Still there.
@Howie Met Your Mother: Why do you want to?
@Grey: Uh Oh Kuo now into the game.
asdrubal or yunel
a. gordon or Rolen
who sits:
grandy, gardner, stanton, murphy, vlad, hart
Speaking of Elvis (Presley), both he and Babe Ruth died on August 16. Sorry mr. baseball.
@Steve: Bye-bye, Kuo.
@aj: Asdrubal…. Gordon… Grandy…
@vinko: That’s hilarious.
Fuk Yu Kuo.
@Grey: Ugh, so much for my Bills win and my speculative Dotel save!
@Steve: Ha!
@GopherDay: Of course there was no win for Bills, I own him.
Damn you Aardsma!
@Grey: Grey, why do you spite me so? In all seriousness, Bills great start was ruined by Lindstrom blowing up in my face. To make matters worse, if this had been a normal game he wouldn’t have started because I have been putting Adams in for holds.
@fitz: Damn, indeed.
@GopherDay: I’m a bad person.
I think I’m setting some kind of record for fantasy players lost to major injuries. Takahashi CloserByCommitteeSAGNOF!!!
so who is going to be the next mets closer grey – I can’t figure it out
I going to pick up the whole committee
OK Grey, here’s a dandy for you. Earlier I dropped Napoli because I had Santana and he was doing well. Since then I have lost said Santana and replaced him with Yorvit. Nunez has also lost his closer role, Capps got traded which moved Storen to partial closing duties. Someone offered me Storen for Napoli back. Now K-Rod goes down for the year and what used to be a treasure trove of saves is now a need. I did pick up Takahashi but he’s not full time. So, do I keep Storen or take Napoli?
So Bautista didn’t want to hit any old home run so he hits an inside the park? What gives? Its like he wants to make himself so overrated next year so he can laugh at the guy that drafts him in his Fantasy league next year.
@GopherDay: Not only that, it’s his 2nd insider of the year
@mr baseball: Takahashi
@Tom Emanski: Ouch… Keep Storen.
@GopherDay: Ha
@Tom Emanski: Didn’t realize that, that’s a little crazy.
So let’s talk keepers. I’m in a league where we can choose 5 players to keep, for $5 more than what we paid for them.
I could keep the following players for $5, since I got them for free:
Pedro Alvarez
Starlin Castro
Jose Tabata
Angel Pagan
Andres Torres
Corey Hart
Desmond Jennings (he’s a free agent)
Brandon Morrow
Do any of them not make the cut? Also, our auction budget is $300 instead of the usual, so $5 is a little less pricey. THANKS!
p.s. K-Rod, in the future please throw punches with your non-pitching hand!
Kuo grrrrrrrrrrrr.
I don’t own K-Rod but the guy ahead of me does and the guys behind me need saves too. Strangely, no one’s pounced yet. Currently working the All-SAGNOF cast of Gregg, Lindstrom, Hanrahan and Storen. Lindstrom’s come back to earth/hurt and Hanrahan’s dropped a deuce on what little save chances he’s gotten. Is Takahashi worth a gamble for either of them as a blocking move at this point? Admittedly, I waited on Lyon figuring he wasn’t worth it. Not much else out there besides Hoffman.
@Grey: Guess who’s against Bautista this week? Emoticon.
Not that anyone who grabbed Raburn for today is in any position to complain…
@Miguel the Mango: Hart, Alvarez, Castro, Pagan and Tabata…
@Jake in Columbus: I’d hold.
@Steve: So you didn’t drop Raburn for a Mets closer?
@Grey: Need a replacement 4 Cruz. Murphy, Ludwick, Brantley, n Denorfia r available. Who do i snag? No specific stats needed, thx Grey!
Thanks.
BTW, Did Todd Jones
http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/v/mlb/players_l/20080402/5082.jpg
get some work done and go southpaw?
http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/v/mlb/players_l/20100429/8350.jpg
Time for a Perry-Coke float after Valverde’s eventful save?
Not that either is a better option than Takahashi at this point, but someone might need ‘em.
@Grey: It’s Yahoo so dropping him for tomorrow means I get to use him today.
Parnell takes over tomorrow.
@Grey: It’s Yahoo so dropping him for tomorrow means I got to use him today.
Parnell takes over tomorrow.
@tHe sHiT: Murphy
@Jake in Columbus: Wow, that’s uncanny. I imagine Valverde will be rested tomorrow at least.
@Steve: Ah….
@Steve: Ah….
Luv ya Grey, but don’t see where you’re coming from on this one. The guy’s a RBI/HR/AVG hole, helping you only in speed. Plus, he’s going in the top-10 rounds? No thanks. I’ll let him grow up on someone else’s team while I get 4-category help from Stephen Drew and my steals elsewhere.