Interested in your “catcher makes a difference” strategy. Do you take a look each pre-season for battery changes? If so, any chance you post a “Look for improved performance from these SPs this year” (due to new battery mates)???

As it gets later in the draft, you may find some people taking a 4th MI for their UTIL or bench. If you had a very late game play like Freddy Sanchez or Aaron Hill, you might draft him a round or two earlier because of this. The drafters that do this are generally idiots and will drop the guy soon enough. What looks genius on draft day – I’ll get Ty Wiggington for my bench b/c he can play various positions! – looks idealistic a week later when your closer needs backing up.

But this don’t matter anyway cause you covered this in your draft strategy (flex). Sorry again for the spam.

Rudy, In my league I have 4 OF, 2 UTIL, and 4 INF slots, 12 teams. Would you do anything different? I know one thing, I won’t draft a catcher till after the 10th, maybe Doumit or Iannetta. I’m unsure what to do about Infielders though. I definitely don’t want to draft a Derek Jeter in the 4th again this year, lol.

I think Halladay will have lesser value (relative to draft pick) because: 1) coming off a great year, 2) pitches in AL East, and 3) His K rate skyrocketed last year due to a huge increase in cut fastballs. He’s able to throw cutters at 90+ MPH which is a winning formula – see Rivera and Loaiza during his miracle year. Trouble is that it’s really tough to throw cutters this hard. Not sure why but it is. Look at Jim Abbott and Steve Avery who faded early as they lost velocity. I think Halladay will still be good in 2009 but may need revert to the sinking fastball pitcher with average K rates…

The past couple years I would draft Pitching late, and…I’m not pleased with the results, so it’s time for a change for me. The league I’m in consists of 10 active managers and it’s real difficult sometimes to snag the hot FA’s off the wire, I miss out a lot. I could use a top closer in the 5th to break out for the middle of the pack (finished 4-8 place in saves past few years) and that’s even with me picking up a few closers. Same goes for SP. I always find myself trying to trade for a elite SP during the season cause the pitchers I drafted just weren’t good enough to carry my staff. It’d be nice to have 1 or 2 this year. I know there’s risk, just gotta make smart picks…Someone like Halladay. Only time he had probs with the arm was in 2006, had like ulnar nerve irritation or something, from throwing the cutter to much. He’s made the adjustments to avoid injury now. Now that Zaun is gone, Barajas is his catcher and look for the K’s to remain at last years level. Barajas is real good at moving behind the plate and calling pitches. I know this is hard for people to believe a catcher could be responsible for such a thing, but it ‘s what I saw last year. With Zaun it was always pitch to contact BS, but when Barajas caught him the K’s went up.

Rudy, I was curious, what SP’s and RP would you have on your radar in the 3-7 rounds?

Thanks Rudy and Co, . keep up the superb work here at razzball.

Do you have any sample rosters from last season that were drafted using this strategy? My brain says it makes sense, but my heart wants to jump off a train imagining coming out of the draft with, say, Aviles and K. Johnson as my middle infield. I’d love to see some real-world examples of what this strategy can net you.

@cubbies299: If it is an auction-based keeper where you have Gallardo at a crazy cheap price, seems like your reasoning makes sense. If there are only 5 keepers per team, I wouldn’t sweat long-term pitching decisions since most will keep 4-5 hitters…