Okay, I have a screenshot of this page with an unremovable popup on it. But i’ll need an email address to send it as an attachment.

What’s the address?

Followed that up with Kuroda in round 11 and Matsuzaka in round 13. Just took your one sleeper there, Price, in round 14.

My batters (R, H, 2B, HR, RBI, SB, AVG, OBP):

Soto, Texeira, Roberts, Zobrist, Sandoval, Choo, Beltran, Ellsbury, Helton.

By the way, you know 5×5 sucks when Todd’s .325/.416/.489 doesn’t make any of your lists. As a friend says, fantasy corrupts both the mind and the soul, unless, of course, you’re in the AVG/OBP/SLG league and one Todd Helton is the elite hitter that he is.

I love these types of stories. Every Spring Training you get them. No doubt we’ll get a Jermaine Dye one pretty soon (assuming he signs with somebody).

Holy small sample size, Batman!

The problem with Kazmir is that his skills are declining. Whether that’s due to the constant stream of injuries or not is immaterial. The fact is that the guy has only pitched over 200 innings once in his career.

Still, he’s not total trash. I could see a 4 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP and, assuming he stays on the field, 150 Ks. Not bad, but not top 40, especially with his elevated injury risk.

What I’m more worried about is whether he can handle the “staff ace” designation. I’m just not convinced this guy is psychologically strong.

I think Bills might be my #1 on most teams, and Nolasco and Hamels will be on the radar. I think I want two of those three in almost every draft.

BTW, Those searching for Pairings + Filling in each others holes on Google just got really disappointed to find this post.

Interesting. Create a “race to the middle” instead of a “race to the bottom.”

Have you played that format before? Would that doom the last place finisher most years to finishing last forever?

Also, how would that manifest itself in the context of an auction — giving a budget bonus, I guess?

If that is a six-team playoff setting, then, next year, the team finished 7th place draft first overall, 8th place team draft second, so on and so on. So that bottom teams won’t trade away serviceable players and start tanking, because if they finish well they will get a higher draft pick. This bonus system should encourage every team to do their best.

@Jeff W.: No problem.

@Robb: Actually, I like Floyd this year for reasons you mention, but he’s not a top 40 starter.

I regularly cite the insight from your website, but I’m look for sight-beyond-sight, Lion-O.

This might be a better subject for another article — or maybe an article in itself — but I’m putting it here with hopes you’ll respond.

After playing in a 12-team keeper draft for years, where we keep up to 8 players (your keepers essentially become your first 8 picks) I wanted to start an auction keeper league. As such, I am looking for tips and background on few general rules.

1) Is the $260 budgets, 25-man roster, a good way to go?

2) Any tips on the size/rules regarding the FAAB?

3) Should you allow managers to roll over payroll from year-to-year if they stay under the $260 cap?

4) Should trades affect a team’s budget in some way?

5) How much of a premium should one put on year-to-year keepers? +$5 per year seems to be the industry standard, but maybe each year should be a little more: +$5 for one year, +$7 the next year, +$10 the next, and so on.

6) Any thoughts on offering “long-term” contracts to players?

7) This might be an NL-only league – what do you do when players switch leagues midseason? I’d hate to pay $25 for Adrian Gonzalez and have him go to Boston at the deadline.

8) Any tips on how to keep a league competitive in the second half? I like the idea of giving a payroll bonus (or some other award – maybe a gift certificate?) to managers who improve their teams’ performance in the second half, but I have no idea of how to structure that.

Thanks, and I appreciate insight from the peanut gallery as well.