Everything black was white and white was black. Everything up was down and down was up. I was a Girl Scout and the only cookies I could sell were Rah-Rah Raisins and I couldn’t give away the Samoas. I was an Asian in NASCAR. I was a five-foot, six-and-a-half-inch white boy that could hoop. (Actually, that last one is true.) I zagged when I usually zigged! And it felt okay. I didn’t wake in a puddle of sweat like I was a puppet in the Land of Confusion video, wondering what I had done. I didn’t burn all my old draft manifestos like I was trying to escape Olivia Pope from finding me out. I just went at it a little different. This league is a 15-teamer, OBP league, so I used Rudy’s rankings. I still knew which players I liked and didn’t like, but I decided to lean on Rudy, which makes for an interesting draft when Rudy was using the same rankings. For unstints, when Matt Holliday sat at the top of my board for two rounds, I knew Rudy was going to draft him. When Ian Kennedy sat at the top of my board, I knew Rudy was going to Marilyn Monroe that Kennedy. Though, I also knew if I wanted a guy sitting at the top of my board, I needed to act before Rudy. Okay, you’re primed, let’s start coating your mind with knowledge. (BTW, Our Razzball leagues are signing up still. Go there and sign up now!) Anyway, here’s the 2015 Tout Wars draft and my thoughts:
C: Mike Zunino (15)
C: Hank Conger (25)
1B: Miguel Cabrera (1)
2B: Jedd Gyorko (20)
SS: Danny Santana (14)
3B: Evan Longoria (4)
MI: Brett Lawrie (13)
CI: Eric Hosmer (9)
OF Starling Marte (3)
OF: Jorge Soler (6)
OF: Steven Souza (8)
OF: Khris Davis (11)
OF: Domonic Brown (23)
U: Kendrys Morales (24)
P: Stephen Strasburg (2)
P: Aroldis Chapman (5)
P: Jake Arrieta (7)
P: Danny Salazar (10)
P: Francisco Rodriguez (12)
P: Sean Doolittle (16)
P: Tony Cingrani (17)
P: Carlos Martinez (18)
P: Nathan Eovaldi (19)
Bench: Yusmeiro Petit (21)
Bench: Jake Peavy (22)
Bench: Drew Stubbs (27)
Bench: Daniel Norris (26)
Bench: Joel Peralta (28)
Bench: Jordan Schafer (29)
Full drafts results here.
AROLDIS CHAPMAN?! BUH-BUH-BUH-BUH-BUH…SAGNOF!
Yeah, one of my many zags vs. the usual zigs, but it wasn’t like I grabbed him in the 2nd round and took Joe Mauer third. Aroldis’s ADP is 45; my rank of him is 58; I drafted him with pick 67; semi-colons are fun; I knew a closer run was on the horizon; it’s always on the horizon around pick 60. Sho nuff, Kimbrel, Betances, Robertson, Holland and Cody Allen were drafted before my next pick. Think about the value of Aroldis vs. Allen. Cody Allen has a value of $14.7 and Aroldis has a value of $25. Oops, I win. By a lot. A lot a lot. Betances is worth $15.7 and he was taken within four picks of Aroldis. Okay, enough justification for the powers of the ‘stache. I win. Poop on you.
I CAN ALMOST UNDERSTAND AROLDIS, BUT STRASBURG. YOU’VE RIPPED MY HEART OUT LIKE MOLA RAM AND NOW I NEED CORE SURGERY LIKE DENARD DAWG.
I had a pickle and it was sour and I didn’t want to take Nolan Arenado in the 2nd round in this draft, because his OBP isn’t great. I know, I may as well have said Jesus never hid Easter eggs that is such blasphemy. So I drafted Miggy and then… Well, that’s the thing. OBP changes the 2nd round and I didn’t want, say, Big Papi, Braun, Freeman or Upton, so I went zagging again and grabbed Strasburg. A Straszag, if you will. Within the next round went Lucroy, Reyes, Braun, Springer, Desmond, Price, Freeman, Beltre, Frazier, Brantley and Harper. All fine selections. Well, not Reyes, Lucroy, Desmond, Brantley, Freeman, Beltre or Springer, but you get my drift on the draft. So, I left the 2nd round with a pitcher and Strasburg is going to win his first of many Cy Youngs this year.
I WILL SAY YOUR OUTFIELD AND STARTERS ARE SEXY SEXY DOT COM THAT I WANT TO SEARCH FOR ON PORN HUB.
Souza – bam! Marte – yummers! Soler – kazoo! Arrieta – bam! Salazar – yummers! Cingrani — kazoo! Carlos Martinez? Okay, I can’t even take it anymore. Someone fan me because I’m about to histrionically faint. I haven’t even mentioned Yusmeiro, Daniel Norris, Khris Davis and Eovaldi. Hmm, actually, now that I list them, maybe I went too heavy on upside. I don’t care. I got a fever and the only prescription is more upside!
THEY HAVE A SAYING IN TEXAS, MAYBE IT’S TENNESSEE TOO, ‘FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU. FOOL ME TWICE, AND I WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN EXCEPT BY MAYBE HOSMER AND GYORKO.’
I can’t quit these guys. Not with 10 milligrams of methadone. Not with anything. They are my cross to bear, or bare if you’re a naturist. I wanted Wong (stop giggling), but I also wanted my 2nd outfielder in the 6th round when I took Soler, so Wong was gone (Hey, Mr. Poet Man). After Wong, I seriously didn’t want a 2nd baseman at all. Like, fo’reallies, no one interested me. Kipnis and Dozier went too early for my taste. Walker and Kendrick just sorta sit on my draft board, not really enticing me into drafting them. Pedroia and Kinsler? Bleh and meh. Baez could have a sub-.200 OBP so he’s off my board. Semien went in the 8th round. Go ahead, reread it again and you’ll still be as shocked. Rougned Odor interested me, but I just took Dannys Antana, and they felt too similar. So, that left me with The Gyork Store. As for Hosmer, I still like him. I know, I’m a moron.
OKAY, ENOUGH JIBBER-JABBERING, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE TEAM?
Better question is, “What do you think of the team?” Wait, that’s the same question. Rudy ran the numbers and the league average is $32 for each offensive category. My numbers come out to $30 in runs, $49.5 in HRs, $42.5 in RBIs, $29 in steals and $23.9 in OBP. The league average for pitching is $15 per category. My numbers are $13.2 for Wins, $24 for saves, $20.7 for ERA, $20.1 for WHIP and $19.3 for Ks. This is with Doolittle’s stats in my lineup and not, say, Peavy, so my saves are high and my Wins and Ks are low. It’s not a surprise that I’m high on power and low on speed. I mean, look at my team. Shoot, I should’ve told those people to look at my team and come back down here. Oh, well, we lost them. Between you and me, I didn’t like some of them anyway. Since I ignore Wins (and you should too), I’d say my pitching is a smoking-Afterschool-Special group of guys. Now they just have to play the games. Hmm, actually, let’s just award me the crown now and forget the games. S’cool?
Interesting strat to skip round 10 entirely!
@7-Year Grich: I’m thinking Souza in rd. 10 and Arrieta in rd.7 as 2 rd.7 picks were listed.
The draft results are linked, but it should be Souza 8th, Hosmer 9th, Salazar 10th
@7-Year Grich: Fixed
2nd keeper league question. 5×5 8 team 3 of; 9 pitcher 3 reserve league. ..decent free agent talent
Keep 4:
Rizzo 21
mccutch 48
Stanton 51
gomez 17
possibles:
Arrieta 1
josh Harrison 1
Rosenthal 1
matt Adams 1
Do u keep the 4 studs or sub in Adams and or josh Harrison getting your 2nd base covered with josh and talent ng matt and his 26-84 280 and throw back Stanton and someone else or go with stars and kinda scrubs……
@jef: What’s the budget? That’s a lot of money tied up in the outfield if it’s the usual amount.
@jef: Theres only one 1 F up in this bitch…find your other F
@JeF With 1 F: Jefff with 3 F’s is available, or Geoff
@Ra’zball Al Ghul: Ha…yeah they are all on the table
@Ra’zball Al Ghul: And Jefe
@Grey: good one
@jef: Out of $260?
@Grey: out of 260
Keep the studs
those “experts” really loved the Souza pick hehe
@FrankGrimes: Did they?
@Grey:
nope
I’m weak in pitching and have offense to spare. I’ve got Starlin Castro and Arenado for starting SS/3B and Bogaerts, C. Davis, Gyorko as backups.
His J Zimmerman and an RP (he’s got Clippard/Rodney/Papelbon/Britton/T. Watson/Wade Davis)
for my Y. Tomas and Danny Santana.
@Shin-Soo Choo Choo: I should mention that this is my first keeper league.
@Shin-Soo Choo Choo: Sounds decent
@Grey: Other permutations. Anyone, please let me know if any of these are stupid in a keeper:
Zimm and Clippard for Corey Dickerson and Danny Santana
Zimm and Clip for Tomas and Dickerson
Zimm, Britton and any of his RPs for Tomas, Santana, Dickerson
I’d want Dickerson in all of them
Grey, I have to say that I nearly fell out of my chair when I first saw your picks. After reading your thoughts for years……how the hell could you take Strasburg over Arenado or Harper? I know, you already explained that (sort of) above. Still, zigging when zagging is one thing, but should I start to doubt my draft strategy using your own rankings? I forgave you coming into this year for my unnatural love for Jay Bruce from last year’s rankings, but this…………..? Is this unforgivable?
@getbent: This is a deep OBP league, I got nothing but love for Arenado and Harper in normal leagues
@Grey: @getbent: I’d recommend taking more control of the drafting process. Your reliance on Grey sounds extreme…and a little creepy.
12 team h2h i had piss poor offense ( no SS and pearce at first eaton and neil walker at util ) and great pitching
anyway i accepted a trade
i give murphy lester ventura quintana i get edwin arenado betts polanco
@barker: Sounds good
Grey, I have been using your rankings (100 & 400) which have been most useful while I’m trying to learn the ropes so thanks a lot for that!
However, I had a moment of concern – how different would the rankings be in standard Yahoo format (3OF, no MI, CI etc). Any definite adjustments?
Thanks again!
@Chuzwozza: We have specific Yahoo rankings: https://razzball.com/playerrater-preseason-yahoomlb12 I’d use my rankings though and just discount outfielders a little
@Grey: Cool. Cheers sir. I spotted that but got a little confused with the $ rating (I will probably stick to regular snake this year).
Sorry, I warned you that I was new – discount in this context would mean picking slightly later (depending on how the team was forming etc)?
Thanks again!
No worries
Nice job…15 team league that is more than solid
@JeF With 1 F: I do like Rudys top 5 picks alot…you killed the second half of the draft though.
@JeF With 1 F: And Lucroy in the 2nd? that makes no sense
@JeF With 1 F: Yeah, I was really happy with my team… Rudy’s team is solid too… We just have to avoid stupid injuries (not us, our players)
@Grey: ha
@Grey: yeah in a 15 teamer hard to withstand too many injuries
It’s done us in in past years every time
@Grey: Yeah overall im taking your team over Rudys…but both are really good…like you said injuries are the key….Oh and guys doing what they should do is always nice too.
Yeah, not much room for error in 15 teamer because waivers are a mess
I am going to run a RCL league again this year. I will set it up this Saturday.
I am also looking to start a h2h keeper league with an auction but I need to see some interest first. Anybody interested?
@Wallpaper Paterson: I am
@Wallpaper Paterson: me too
@Wallpaper Paterson:
Go on…
@Pundeck: You can email me at gortexturban at yahoo dot com.
I will write back either tonight or Friday. Depends on if i get any free time tonight.
Will answer questions through email,
I was checking the results yesterday and one second I like your OF and the next I don’t. Does this mean I have multiple personalities?
Danny Sanny in round 14 is awesome. Got him for $4 in the LEEG auction last weekend.
@Ralph Lifshitz: There’s a lot of risk involved with my team, depends how much you like upside/downside… Yeah, I love Santana for cheap this year, bunch of people don’t
@Grey: People are scared off by the BABIP from last year but he’s a high contact/speed guy and typically those guys are high in BABIP. Certainly .405 isn’t sustainable but .360+ should be.
Maybe I have a risky personality and a conservative one. Explains why I prefer capital preservation, but love doing cocaine with my pants off.
I have a 12-Team 6×6 Roto league and includes OPS and K/BB.
Can you give me the name of a few pitchers that should be targeted for K/BB?
I usually don’t draft pitchers early but that might have change in this draft so when is a good time to draft pitchers in this format?
@KevinB:
I have the 4th pick in the draft and it is a non-keeper league.
@KevinB: OPS: https://razzball.com/playerrater-preseason-espnmlb12-6X6OPS K/BB puts more emphasis on aces… Might be able to get McCarthy, Richards, Odorizzi, Iwakuma, Hammel cheaper…
@Grey:
Thanks Grey!!
Would it be advisable to grab at least 1 or 2 aces in the early rounds or wait on a SP in this draft then try to get a few of the guys that you mentioned? The categories are K, W, Saves, ERA. WHIP & K/BB. Sorry for not posting that in the OP.
Also, your team looks great in that 15-team league :)
Thanks! I could see grabbing an ace in the early rounds with K/BB
Lucroy went in the 2nd round? Bizzonkers.
@Fungazi: Thats’ what happens when you have a foolish person adjust catchers for replacement value in a shallow league.
@Fungazi: What Blue said
What did I ever do to you Grey? Taking my handcuffs, Farquhar and Conger? I tagged you back once with Broxton….I don’t want to fight.
@Cram It: I don’t think Rodney is long for the closer world and don’t think Castro ends up the catcher, so you could say you have my handcuffs…
@Grey: Clearly, since you seem to be drafting Conger everywhere. Keep stuffing all those eggs in your basket made of hanji.
In 2 catcher leagues, a guy that was once touted as a mini Napoli that Scioscia screwed over too? Yeah, I’m grabbing Conger…
@Grey: Hearsay! And heresy!
Haha
Grey!!!
Great stuff, man! Great team, man. Thank you for sharing.
Applied for a post on Malta. I didn’t even know shizz happened at all on Malta.
Cheers,
Ante
@Ante GALIC: Malta sounds exotic, that would be awesome… Hope you get it!
@Grey: Thanks, man! Prolly have 0 chance, but who knows. I don’t have any mafia friends to “grease the wheels” as they say! Most likely will go to far northern province in Cameroon.
Cheers,
Ante
Ha, well hopefully on Malta
@Grey: Did Baron Mikel Scicluna not hail from The Isle of Malta!? Foreign object specialist if I recall correctly. Cust kayin.
@zombie: Oh, & a very solid 15 teamer Grey. The Strasburgh route did also have me conflicted though. But OBP is an excuse worth consideration. Well done.
Thanks, zombie!
@Ante GALIC: I have been to Malta. Surprisingly dense with people. Not very exotic. 2nd tier European summer spot. Lovely Falcons.
@Rudy Gamble: how lovely?
@Rudy Gamble: thomas pynchon’s V takes no small part of it’s plot in Malta.
I was following some of this draft live on XM and I thought to myself , self, I think Grey didn’t want to bother with this draft and let someone else do it for him.
@Schlitz: Ha
Looks like one of my teams, so that makes me feel better! Seriously though, nicely done at every turn. Seems like you had command of the draft throughout. Chasing a 15 teamer is brutal. I’d rather start runs in that format, even if it means zagging a bunch. I know you’ve run into some hard times in expert leagues recently, so here’s hoping this time takes you to the glory you deserve! Even if it doesn’t, you’ll still be the most entertaining fantasy writer on the planet, so you have that going for you, which is nice.
@Nick: Thanks, man! Yeah, I decided to switch up my instincts early on and then fall on guys I like later on….
Grey! Or any commenter really…
I have a 10 Team 5×5 Standard ESPN Roto where I can trade any of my current keepers below for a $6 Nolan Arenado (3), with years in parenthesis. We get $300 for the entire team. Anyone making this swap and for whom?
Goldschmidt: $26 (2)
Stanton: $27 (3)
Puig: $12 (2)
Rizzo: $19 (3)
@Schwab Stumped: Id Hold
@Schwab Stumped: You have no one to swap
Soler in the 6th and Souza in the 7th is a lot of risk.
I feel ya choosin Strasburg (or a similar pitcher) when looking at that group of hitters. Waiting on pitchers is cool but taking the best player is also cool.
@Hawk: Deep team, will go far.
Yeah Soler makes me nervous. If you go all extrapolation steez on him it can get exciting quickly… but the narrative that has me bearish on him is – he has never stuck around or been around long enough at any level/place to show what he really is. His last chunk of AB’s in the majors last year sorta support that too. Once teams/pitchers figure him out he might just be okay.
And I just hafta say again I think Souza is screamin’ quad-A-zilla. Here’s hoping not
@Ra’zball Al Ghul: Quad-A-Zilla would be an awesome band name. The lineup would be as follows:
Lastings Milledge on vocals
Wily Mo Pena on Drums
Josh Fields on Bass
Bryan LaHair on Guitar
@Ralph Lifshitz: Ha, nice! Shame Brett Wallace is an alternate on drums
@Grey: Well they could always add a percussionist though those guys are typically Latin. I wonder if Wily Mo plays the congas and the triangle?
@Ralph Lifshitz: The darlings of Screamcore
@Hawk: Thanks! Agreed on your points…
I was following along with this draft the other night, you and Rudy did real well I think. Rounds 14-21 I really liked for you, minus Zunino, cuz you know, he’s just a catcher. Rudy top to bottom I think really nailed this draft. Wasn’t in love with the Choo/Holliday 3/4 til J-FOH reminded me it was OBP and well, they’re both pretty darn solid there.
Couple of things surprised me in an “expert” draft though and you and Rudy took advantage of both. Chapman and Billy Ham lasting as long as they did. High quality SAGNOF like that usually gets swooped up by someone trying to outsmart everyone else sometime in the first 4 rounds. Getting both when you did is pretty sweet I’d say. LABR mixed saw the top 4 closers gone by 5th round and Billy Ham gone in the 2nd! Different league settings sure, but still.
Lucroy in the second round…I’d like to hear the rationale there. Sure it’s OBP, but geez.
@MattTruss: Yeah, I was shocked Aroldis was there… As you say, he’s always gone in the 1st 4 rounds in every draft I’ve done in the last few years (minus drafts after he was hurt last spring)…. Aroldis is usually gone in 12 teamers by the time I drafted him…. I think the guy who took Lucroy punted this draft
Nice work Grey! I actually like Rudy’s top third a little better than yours but you owned the draft from then on.
Whoops can’t type my own name this morning. Good thing it’s not draft day….I’d never get smardzjilla.
@Boo er19: Disagree 100%. Not too crazy about Rudy’s. Love your draft.
Thanks, Boo er19! I think Rudy’s top third is solid, just different…
SOOOO WILTON IS A RED SOX FAN? I MEAN I AM TOO BUT 8 SOX? GOOD LORD LOL
@TONY: He seems far from an Expert
@TONY: *shrugs* Yeah, no idea
Great read, Grey. That’s a pretty great looking team even with all the zagging instead of zigging and whatnot.
My 16 team keeper is drafting this weekend, and I’m wondering how far I can safely push up Yasmany Tomas? I’m not asking whether people think he is the next Jose Abreu or Dayan Viciedo. I know that Grey is way higher on
glue him than almost everyone, but Rudy is a little lower on him than his fantasypros ADP. In my league, since he has no ML service time, he can be drafted and kept for the next three seasons with a 10th round pick. How far does that fact push him up the draft board? Do I keep him in Grey territory (mid 80s overall) or do I push him even higher, knowing that I can keep him for less in the coming years.This league is a points league with scoring that basically amounts to (TBs+NetSBs)*(H+BB) / PAs if that helps.
Thanks.
Strikethrough tag fail! please ignore my incompetent attempt at html tagging.
Here is the above post without the annoying strikethrough tag running through it. I should never post before I have a cup of coffee in me.
My 16 team keeper is drafting this weekend, and I’m wondering how far I can safely push up Yasmany Tomas? I’m not asking whether people think he is the next Jose Abreu or Dayan Viciedo. I know that Grey is way higher on him than almost everyone, but Rudy is a little lower on him than his fantasypros ADP. In my league, since he has no ML service time, he can be drafted and kept for the next three seasons with a 10th round pick. How far does that fact push him up the draft board? Do I keep him in Grey territory (mid 80s overall) or do I push him even higher, knowing that I can keep him for less in the coming years.
This league is a points league with scoring that basically amounts to (TBs+NetSBs)*(H+BB) / PAs if that helps.
Thanks for your patience.
@Principal Blackman: Thanks! I’d put him in the mid-80s in yours… His bat looks like it’ll play even if his glove doesn’t
Eovaldi supposedly added a splitter as a much-needed weapon vs. lefties and looked good his first spring outing so maybe he finally takes a step forward. But I wonder if it’s good where was it before?
He will need it at Yankee Stadium.
If I had to bet I would bet his ERA ends up still in the high 3s at best though.
@papasmurf: I like his stuff a lot, and nearly wrote a sleeper post on him
Nice squad. I feel like with 15 team leagues its good to go with high upside players
@Fireball Feliz: Yeah, I was thinking I needed some breakouts
Grey, im in a 12 team roto,first six rds were Jones,Rendon,Harper,Arenendo,C.Santana and J.Zimmerman,what do u think?
@Bryan: I like it
Your round 2 pick just blew my mind – pretty sure I’d never see that on Razzball!
That said, you make a very good point, which also explains why I never seem to be happy with my 2nd round pick in mocks for my 12 team OBP league (unless Rizzo is still there). A lot of the round 2 guys aren’t OBP monsters + can be replaced nicely later round guys with better plate discipline (and 1st rounder Adam Jones is really rough in OBP leagues).
If you could grab Scherzer/Klubot/Straus in mid-round 2 then take a guy like C. Davis or Santana (both very comparable to Arenado in OBP leagues) in 5, that seems like a pretty strong play…
@Duda Want to Build a Snowman?: Yeah, that was my feeling as I was in the draft room… 2nd round in OBP in a deep league (if Edwin or Rizzo falls, then grab them) bored me…
@Grey: Completely, and particularly in OF, where there seem to be a lot of high OBP mid round guys.
Similarly, in a league like the one you just did, I have a hard time seeing why a guy like Springer (who should be at least average in OBP even with a horrendous AVG) isn’t an OF1, and he should still be there in round 3 or 4.
Springer didn’t hang around that long in ours
Grey!!! Kind of random question but my AL-only auction is this weekend and I really need your advice. Could do me a huge favour and rank the following OF for me: Beltran, Rusney, Jennings and AJax. Thanks so much!
@Cronut Burger: We have AL-Only draft kits: https://razzball.com/playerrater-preseason-alonly10team/
I also rank those guys in my rankings
I like the way you take risks with the young guys you are high on, Grey, so do you subscribe to buffering your teams somehow w/a reliable veteran or two in case one or more of the kids don’t pan out w/the stick? I know that helps in pitching but I’ve seen it suggested w/the bats as well in the past when guys like Holliday, Rios, or Alex Gordon were more steady and was wondering if you concur or just throw caution to the young studs’ wind when drafting. Kind of assumed that’s what those 1st round studs are supposed to do so when you fill out the later bats, you can aim at the kids more easily.
@Clint: Yeah, definitely… It was my attempt to do that with Peavy, cause I could lose Cingrani, C-Mart and/or Salazar
Hey Grey,
These are my keepers this year in a 12 team league.
2B-Rendon $10
3B-Arenado $5
CI- Sandoval $12
OF-Stanton $43
OF-Castillo $8
SP- Cole $23
SP- Fiers $9
SP- Iwakuma $11
SP- Liriano $11
RP-Betances $9
Anyone here you think I should drop because they’re too expensive? I’m thinking I may be able to get Cole and Liriano a bit cheaper and I don’t know about Castillo for $8 (although good upside maybe)
Two questions:
1) Who to drop from above if any?
2) I have a trade offer for Stanton and Betances…which side wins?
Stanton $43 & Betances $9 FOR
Brantley $10, Holland $21,
I’m thinking hold stanton because he’s still a good price and I have good value elsewhere.
Thanks!
@John Gibbons’ Speech Coach: Id lose Liriano….and Stanton side wins by far
@John Gibbons’ Speech Coach: Agree with F
True or False: When I die I’ll be greeted at the gates of hell by the Ronald Reagan puppet from Land of Confusion.
@Mr. Knish: Grey wasnt Mr.Knish a song on your album you released last year
@JeF With 1 F: B side, good recall!
@Mr. Knish: True
Not bad looking at your team, could waiver wire fine tuning, but looks very good.
I was just offered Segura @ 8$ if I take matt Adams @ 15$. 5×5 league 14 teams 260 budget?? Would you do take these players on as keepers perior to the draft??
@jack: Thanks! I’d take Segura
You’re a baller? Grey, we gotta find a court the next time we hang out. No one on one stuff. We gotta make some money off these chumps, ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ style.
@Sky: I always pictured Grey as more of pool guy. Wasn’t Grey in that movie where him and Tom Cruise are pool sharks? Color of Money, Grey’s stache was on POINT
HA
@Fireball Feliz: I can run the pool table too
@Grey: unless you’re playing against me
Are you being coached by Cockcroft?
@Grey: to jog your memory I whooped you guys on the pool table Friday night.
I don’t recall
@Grey: thats right, your memory got irish car bombed. Very convenient
Not me, that was Tony Kukoc
@Grey: you werent on my team unless you consider watching me taking you to school a team mate.
Ha
@Sky: I’m Snipes
Nice job on a 15 teamer, man. Adaptability is a virture in any draft.
2 guys on my wire (12 team, 25 man roster, only league this year) that you picked that make me go hmm are Cingrani and Dom Brown. You think the former will bounce back and the latter will achieve post-hype status? I’ve just dropped Cliff Lee for Matt Shoemaker, don’t have the stomach for the Lee situation, and Shoemaker (on my personal draft list) was inexplicably dropped. So thoughts on him vs. Cingrani?
Also, same manager dropped Polanco and Jennings (he autodrafted and I guess hated his team?). Definitely want one instead of my final draft pick Prado (boring except for 3 positions). Thoughts? Them over Brown, too?
@SallyCips: Thanks! Hold Shoemaker, grab Polanco over Prado
@Grey:
Hmm, Belt got dropped as well.
Go Polanco
@Grey:
Thanks, Grey! Razzball’s commitment to answering comments is what puts this fantasy site above all else. Keep rocking, guys!
No problem
Team looks solid. I also had my auction draft last night. 10 teams, 5×5 h2h with OBP instead of average, I had great keepers and really like this team, but I think my pitching is a bit risky/young. Should I move a bat for an ace early this season or ride it out?
C: Gattis
1B: Abreu
2B: Wong
3B: Arenado
SS: Tulowitzki
OF: McCutchen
OF: Gomez
OF: Harper
UTIL: Rizzo
Bench: Soler
SP: Cole
SP: Arrieta
SP: Carrasco
SP: Wood
SP: Richards
RP: Benoit
RP: Rondon
Bench: McHugh
Bench: Shoemaker
Bench: Fiers
Bench: Paxton
@Warren: That team is nice…your pitching is fine, Id hold
@Warren: Agree with F, your team is fine for now, don’t overtinker
12 team, 10×10 roto, 6 keepers, CBS auction league
Roster 25, play 19, Hitters: 2C, MI, CI, DH, 5OF
Pitchers: 1SP, 1RP, 7P
Total Salary $260
I’m keeping these 5:
$20 G Stanton
$16 A Rizzo
$8 G Springer
$5 A Rendon
$5 N Arenado
For my last keeper I can keep one of these:
$8 J Soler
$9 A Cobb
$12 G Cole
$8 J deGrom
or I can trade Soler and deGrom for $8 J Arrieta and keep him. Which is the best course?
Thanks
@doghat666: Keep Soler
@doghat666: Actually league looks like it will be 10 team this year not 12.
@doghat666: Hold
@doghat666: will need more info to give you an honest answer. 10×10 is hard to evaluate without knowing what they cats are
@J-FOH:
10×10 adds:
pitching: holds, K/9, Inn, BAA, W-L
batting: D+T, Hits, Ks, OPS, SBA
SBA is stolen bases allowed, I kid you not. Makes guys with C eligibility who play another position very valuable.
I have another RCL draft tonight at 9…Ill let you know how that shizz goes down…I dont recognize anybody in this one so could be interesting
@JeF With 1 F: Nice, taking deGrom and Wheeler 1/2?
@Grey: If im lucky
Hehe
Good draft. Don’t think ur gona hit as many homers as u think, tho.
I’m confused why you like brett lawrie. Look at his home road splits, he’s terrible away from rogers center. Triple slash .244/.300/.383 away from rogers centre And .286/.346/.469 at home..And he’s always injured. And his new home ballpark is one of the worst for hitting homers. And his new team around him is worse.
400 at bats and 15 homers is a huge win with lawrie. Maybe a .255 avg? I just don’t get it.
Steamer projects for 17 HRs, .263 average and 6 steals over 130 games; those are stats you’d play at 2B or MI. Not to mention you’re writing off a kid who’s a mere 5 months older than Anthony Rendon. Risk vs reward here is in Grey’s favor with where he drafted him.
@Sky: those seem optimistic with him playing in oakland. I’m not touching him, see what I added about my gut and lawries juice in my other comment.
He’s a pretty big injury risk and his upside is bleh. Gl.
Yeah, sorry, the juicer comment is pretty much 100% conjecture and not really a substantial argument for or against him. He plays the game hard. Hopefully OAK can teach him to take it a little slower on some plays. Most of his injuries stem from being overly aggressive. I mean, you can keep your beliefs on him which is fine, but just seems like a random statement to make about a young guy in the league.
Neil Walker is projected to be the 5th best 2B via Off projections on steamer with 13 HRs and 7 steals and a .274 average. Gotta put things in context when you talk about his upside.
@Sky: obv there’s no proof, just like a ton of guys, but a young player with so many muscle strains, obliques and what not, plus he’s that jacked. Lawrie was a juicer. He’s gona hit .240 with no power and be out of the league before he’s 30.
Yeah, not my job to convince you one way or another but if your stance is ‘I just believe this’ it’s not really much of a stance (no offense meant). We’ll just have to agree to disagree here.
@Sky: not to mention lawrie’s .OBP was .301 last season… so while he showed more power last year, it came at the cost of about 20 points off his career batting average and obp.
Over 70 games, which were heavily weighted 26 games in March/April in which he hit .192. He hit .287 and .262 in the next two months before going down to injury. His FB% did increase so he’s lifting the ball more but he also had an abnormally high 18.1% IFFB rate. I don’t know, we can all like or dislike a player but for a 2B and where he’s going, I think he’s well worth it.
@the swinging: forgot to add that my gut tells me he was a juicer… not like a machine that turns carrots into liquid… the juice that turns your forearms double the size.
And that’s y lawrie was always getting injured. Feels like chasing a post-juiced up prospect who may have already seen his best baseball days even at his age.
I’m prob wrong.
@the swinging: Juicing is anecdotal… I agree with Sky and why I drafted him
@Grey: what did owings go for?
@the swinging: snake draft… what round was owings
@the swinging: The draft results link is in the post
@Grey: i like him over lawrie so sick value on owings in this draft imo looks like he went 325 overall.
Yeah, if he can get out of the 8 hole Owings should be solid, and I like him too
@Grey: the catcher will hit 8th prob. he will be 6 or 7 most nights.
Oh, right, Tuffy, yeah likely 7th for Owings, be nice to see him move to 2nd
@the swinging: er, 308…
@the swinging: still wrong… 327. Final answer
@the swinging: lawrie going pretty much consistently around pick 230 in yahoo.
Souza in the 8th, I like him but wow…Makes me feel happy about taking him in my offseason prospect draft though.
@Swfcdan: That’s 120-ish overall… It’s where he’s going
Yo G, Sadat was sweet last night. He actually did mostly Brand Nubian stuff, all the tracks you’d want to hear. Punks Jump Up, Slow Down, Love Me or Leave Me Alone, Word Is Bond…did 1-9-9-9 from Soundbombing which is my jaaaam. Few other old joints like Lump Lump, a couple newer ones. He actually just dropped a new album recently, and had one in 2011ish which I really enjoy, he’s still really dope. Always cool when you see a guy in a small place and get to go say what up and shake his hand after. Best 7 dollar cover i’ve ever spent.
@nick the dick: That’s amazing… How was it to hear him do their songs by himself? Who did the other parts?
@Grey: He was really good by himself. Nobody did the other parts, the DJ was good with transitioning him right into hooks and then having him do his verse. He definitely rocked it. Got to stand there and bullshit with Apathy during the show too.
Whaaaaat? That’s amazing on Apathy… Don’t love that he only did his parts and no one did the other parts, but I’m sure if I was at th eshow I wouldn’t have minded… That would be a great reunion tour — Brand Nubians…
@Grey: yeah, perfect world you want the whole songs but it worked well. Apathy lives in an apartment right next to the bar it was at so I figured he would be there, ended up right next to him it was cool. Ya BN needs a reunion, although im sure they still do some stuff. Jamar cant be that busy!
I want the Brand Nubians on the podcast, can you make it happen?
@Grey: Shoot, I thought it would be too forward to ask Sadat for his number so we can hang out. I’ll have to talk to my guy who knows a guy who has a cousin who knows the guy.
No, seriously
@Grey: Consider it done
Thanks! I asked JFoCockcroft to handle it, but, well…
@Grey: yeah hes been pretty lackadaisical with his talent search so far, someone has to pick up the slack
If you can pull together some old school rapper guests, I’d love you (more so)
@Grey: I’ll scour the wire, it’s gotta happen
That would be amazing
@nick the dick: 1-9-9-9 is one of my all-time favorites, thanks for the reminder on that one Nick. You ready for Sunday? Too bad RA didn’t show up so they could do 50,000 heads or Sam Peckinpah.
@Ralph Lifshitz: Haha I said the same thing to my buddy about bringing out RA for 50,000 heads. Ya 1999 has always been a favorite to me, i’m a Common lover too. I’m ready for this draft buddy!
ok, these are the only closers left, should i pass? go after hitters and ptichers like gardner, Brett Gardner
Jedd Gyorko
Khris Davis
Brandon Moss
Leonys Martin
Lorenzo Cain
Justin Morneau
Adam LaRoche
Jonathan Schoop
Alex Rios
Steven Souza
Jake Peavy
Jered Weaver
Scooter Gennett
Jose Ramirez
Chris Owings
Rougned Odor
Chase Utley
Brett Lawrie
Jake Odorizzi
Ervin Santana
Shelby Miller
Yan Gomes
Wily Peralta
A.J. Burnett
Nathan Eovaldi
Glen Perkins
Fernando Rodney
Joaquin Benoit
Domonic Brown
Marlon Byrd
Torii Hunter
Jayson Werth
Rick Porcello
Homer Bailey
Jason Hammel
Wei-Yin Chen
Wilin Rosario
Tony Cingrani
Jesse Hahn
James Paxton
Carlos Martinez
Closers that are left.
G. Perkins
F. Rodney
J. Benoit
N. Feliz
H. Rondon
A. Reed
S. Casilla
J. Nathan
L. Hawkins
C. Qualls
T. Clippard
J. Broxton
J. Mejia
A. Sanchez
B. Boxberger
@sam bradford oh no: I don’t know what this is regarding
@sam bradford oh no: Hard to say with no reference. Do you have any closers? Do you have any OF’s? Team needs? You get the idea…
Hi Grey,
With 1B being so deep would you keep any of these guys over Crush in an OBP leauge? Lose the round you keep them in, 22 being the last. Thanks!
Crush (13)
Ozuna (22)
Betts (22)* Betts would play OF in our ESPN format
Alex Wood (22)
Betances (22)
@toppleprone: I’d keep Crush
Had my draft last night. 12 team standard yahoo head to head 5X5 league w/ daily lineups.
What do you guys think? Before you rip me for being light on speed and avg., I tend to de-value speed and avg. in this format cause week to week those categories fluctuate too much. I find that if my team projects to steal around 110 bases, then that should be good enough to not lose the SB category every week. Ok here we are:
C W. Ramos WAS
1B A. Pujols LAA
2B J. Kipnis CLE
3B J. Donaldson TOR
SS C. Owings ARI
OF G. Stanton MIA
OF J. Upton SD
OF S. Marte PIT
UTL C. Davis BAL
UTL K. Calhoun LAA
BENCH BAT Y. TOMAS ARI
SP J. Arrietta CHC
SP C. Carrasco CLE
RP D. Storen WAS
RP S. Cishek MIA
P Z. Britton BAL
P M. Latos MIA
P C. Archer TB
P Z. Wheeler NYM
Bench M. Shoemaker LAA
Bench M.Pineda NYY
Bench J. Paxton SEA
Bench T. Cingrani CIN
I think your team looks solid… You’re a little light on speed, but don’t mind in a H2H… Your pitching is a little heavy on upside, but it’s guys I like…
I love the team, but then again I rely on your rankings + Sporer’s Starting Pitchers Guide, so of course I love it.
Keeper question. 12 team $260 auction league, can keep 2 bats, 2 arms, + 1 flex. Standard 2C 23 man starting lineup + 2 bench slots. Can only keep someone twice (3 year max contract) with draft/waiver +$3 in year 2 and +$5 in year 3.
Given inflation, should I keep Strasburg at $33 and David Robertson at $14? Looking back at last year’s draft, they are right around FMV (most top tier starters and closers kept, but Stras went for $30 and Rosenthal went for $15). If I don’t keep them, I will not be keeping any arms, cause my other options are no better (Teheran $17, Greinke $28, Bailey $16).
Full disclosure, I’m keeping Goldy at $32, Bautista at $29, and VMart at $7 (over Wong at $5 – I know, I know, but I can draft him at less than $10 probably).
Thanks,
Curtis
@Curtis: Thanks! I’d keep them
@Grey: Thanks Grey, I was kinda leaning the same way after my VMart for Wheeler trade fell through (he was going to keep Stroman, but is now keeping Wheeler).
Feel like I need to defend my lack of great keeper options, haha. I traded them all away for a title (banners fly forever). Rendon, Dickerson, Ross, Brantley (though he was a throw in in my Kenley + Brantley for Greinke trade early). Also, I dropped Kluber ($1 in the draft) after those first 2 horrendous starts. Whoops.
5×5 12 team H2H with 5 starter pitchers spots and 5 bench spots. How did I do with my starting pitching staff?
Cobb
Cole
DeGroom
Fiers
McHugh
Hutchinson
Dickey
Paxton
Gausman
Moore (will stash on DL)
I don’t like Dickey, but otherwise it looks solid
Thanks guys!
I was offered Segura @ 8$ if I take Adams @15$ in a 5×5 keeper league(keep only for this season) 260 cap 14 teams, would you take these players on before draft??
I’d take them
I have one major disagreement in this post – you can’t hoop. Watching you shoot a basketball is like watching Bartolo Colon hit.
Haha… Shush!
We need a full game of Razzball 5 on 5 to settle this. We’ll tell Grey it’s just a 10 team mixed 5×5 category league to get him on the court, though.
I’m putting JFoCockcroft at center just so no one goes down the lane
With my range, I don’t even need to go near the paint.
Wow, a tall man (everyone’s tall compared to me) with range!
I’ve been called Tony Kukoc before on the court. I’ve also been called Manu Ginobli but that’s just the dark complexion and the nose.
Does he have any Apache in him?
Choctaw, Grey. CHOC. TAW.
Oh, right! Mea culpa
Mea Culpa sounds like another tribe.
They are, from Latin America
One that constantly apologizes for things, even if they didn’t do anything wrong.
Haha… A very polite tribe
@Sky: nice comp and Ive never seen you play. I’m more of Mark Madsen with an outside shot when I played
Mike Madsen? The actor?
@Grey: well the brits in London nicknamed me Mr. Blonde back in 97
Ha, cause of all those drugs you were doing?
@Grey: clean shaven, great pomaded hair (I had a better hairline then), soul patch and a classic wardrobe
I wonder if we hung out and just don’t remember
@Grey: I would of remembered that laugh…and I was there the year after you.
Oh, yeah, that’s right…I paved the way
@Grey: what would mr.blond have to do with drugs?
I’m a point forward. My inside game is limited and more about deception than it is overpowering but it’s there if I need it. Actually have a sweet fade away in the post. Got a former ducks running back with it once and he just gave me the ‘YOU did that?’ stare when I jogged back on defense. I gave him the Jordan shoulder shrug.
@Sky: Back in junior college i would take the basketball class every semester. It was basically 30 black guys,3 Asians and a few scrappy white guys. I was always picked last at the start of the year and by the end I was a mid round pick.
Yeah, I always get one or two shots off before people respect the range. Honestly, I love passing more than shooting. I’m constantly looking for the backdoor cutter.
@Sky: right there with you, I would start to sag outside and then knock a few down before I got the respect then when they started coming out I would look inside and the backdoor to throw them off. I had good strategy before my shoulder and ankle took a dump and playing became a painful endeavor
Yeah, my height (well, my height for pickup basketball) always makes people assume. Then I grab a rebound and turn and run a fast break and they know I have handle and touch. Thankful my body hasn’t broken down on me yet. Love playing basketball.
@Sky: I miss it, the two ankle braces and advil I would pop to play made me walk away. I dont know why I never got a shoulder surgery when i was young?
Great exercise and it’s the perfect blend of mental and physical as a sport.
@Sky: it brought out the competitiveness in me.
Same
@Grey: wait if I’m at center that means I’m guarding JB? FML
That’s right, JB! Yeah, he’s on my team
own the paint Grey dog!
http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/image/1985/05/28/005565961.jpg
Where’d you get my 80s pic from?
mycomputer/desktop/folders/pictures/Grey/80s
HA…Awesome
@Mike When do you think Lindor will be up and playing? Early June?
my guess would be late June/early July yeah
Cool, thanks!
no problem! anything earlier would be awesome, but I’m a little conservative since I think the Indians will be too. Once he’s up, he’ll be the everyday guy, so they’ll want to be sure he’s fully cooked is my guess
I’m looking at him in the 28th round on my NFBC league… I’m between him and an SP, which I can’t say because people could be reading
nice
I took Lindor, hopefully I don’t need him since I have Hanley
solid
@Mike: Grey, now that you have made the SP pick with Straily, I’m curious as to if that’s who you were debating on earlier? I’m not super high on him in Houston, but like his K rate in minors. I’ve got my 15 team auction this weekend and curious on your thoughts.
@Mike: I hacked this from you
http://bushelandapeck.typepad.com/.a/6a00e550aee3838834013488ab8983970c-pi
Damn, Rick Schroder rolled!
that’s a lot of blue
@Rudy Gamble: I knew it! But he can go after foul balls like a squirrel chasing down a nut
Still just need one more in this RCL http://games.espn.go.com/flb/clubhouse?leagueId=9574&teamId=6&seasonId=2015 Password is minidonkey
Draft is tomorrow, Fri March 13 at 730 Central
Thanks!!
Have you guys thought of creating a custom Player Rater, where you input league size, positions, categories, etc & it spits out custom values for your league?
We have a Player Rater
@dk: in the works
Grey
Are the rankings you do based on standard 5×5 roto leagues?
Yeah
@BillJones: Yes
Hey Grey,
Great stuff as usual!
For my auction league, I would like to calculate in draft inflation. Would you calculate inflation for each positon, the entire pool of players, or for all bats and all pitchers?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks! All bats and all pitchers
ESPN Roto, 9 pitching slots and 4 bench. 190 pitching GS limit.
Pick a strategy:
A) Draft and use 6x 31 starts = 186 GS, 3 closers and 3 middle relievers.
B) Draft and use 4 starters, stream to get to 180-190 GS, 3 closers and use 4 or 5 middle reliever most of the year.
C) Draft and use 3 starters, stream SP’s and fill the rest with closers and MR’s.
How many teams is the most important part
10
A and then stream when your starters invariably get hurt or stink
Hi, I’d love some drafting advice — I’ve been doing some test auctions for my NL-only 5×5 (normal cats but Holds+Saves) and I think I can go two different strategies. Which option should I prefer, and why? (My 10 keepers are asterisked.)
There’s the Scherzer-Lind-Granderson option:
C Travis d’Arnaud*
1B Joey Votto
2B Dee Gordon*
SS Starlin Castro*
3B Ryan Zimmerman
MI Jose Peraza
CI Adam Lind
OF Carlos Gomez*
OF Corey Dickerson*
OF Gregory Polanco
OF Jorge Soler
OF AJ Pollock
Util Curtis Granderson
P Jordan Zimmermann*
P Aroldis Chapman*
P Jacob deGrom*
P Carlos Martinez*
P Mike Fiers*
P Max Scherzer
P Brandon McCarthy
P Nick Vincent
P Neil Ramirez
OR the Trumbo-Leake-Solarte option:
C Travis d’Arnaud*
1B Joey Votto
2B Dee Gordon*
SS Starlin Castro*
3B Ryan Zimmerman
MI Jose Peraza
CI Mark Trumbo
OF Carlos Gomez*
OF Corey Dickerson*
OF Gregory Polanco
OF Jorge Soler
OF AJ Pollock
Util Yangervis Solarte
P Jordan Zimmermann*
P Aroldis Chapman*
P Jacob deGrom*
P Carlos Martinez*
P Mike Fiers*
P Mike Leake
P Brandon McCarthy
P Nick Vincent
P Neil Ramirez
What should I be looking for based on the core roster I’ve kept/am targeting? Thanks.
Scherzer is huge compared to Trumbo, not very close
@Grey:
Thanks Grey — I guess my concern was that I didn’t have enough power with that core group, especially taking Votto. And that Zimmermann/deGrom were a solid SP1/SP2 that Scherzer may not be critical. But you think based on my team, Scherzer is still the better investment? Even if it means I could end up with Solarte at UTIL?
Yes, Scherzer is better
did you end up vaping that juice yet?
Blueberry Greek? Yeah, it tastes chocolatey in my tank
@Grey: you need to clean that thing and put in a fresh coil. Its amazing in that monstrosity I have
Yeah, that’s likely the problem because I tasted it in yours and it tasted different (better)
@Grey: when you order that ego one XL get an extra tank and that way you can always have a clean one for new juices
Nice!
Extremely shallow: $300 Auction, 10-team, H2H with 4 OFs, 1 UT and 1 Infielder (no CI or MI).
Yan Gomes, Cle C $5
Albert Pujols, LAA 1B $19
Jason Kipnis, Cle 2B $15
Chris Davis, Bal 1B, 3B $16
Xander Bogaerts, Bos SS $5
Nolan Arenado, Col 3B $18
Justin Upton, SD OF $20
Corey Dickerson, Col OF $23
Bryce Harper, Wsh OF $26
Charlie Blackmon, Col OF $7
Jorge Soler, ChC OF $6
Eric Hosmer, KC Bench $6
Yasmany Tomas, Ari Bench $10 (had $20 left..
Danny Santana, Min Bench $10 so I spent it all on these 2)..Ouch!
Cody Allen, Cle P $8
Alex Wood, Atl P $8
Corey Kluber, Cle SP $22
Tyson Ross, SD SP $13
Jake Arrieta, ChC SP $12
Carlos Carrasco, Cle SP $10
Zack Wheeler, NYM SP $6
David Robertson, CWS RP $11
Dellin Betances, NYY RP $10
Glen Perkins, Min Bench $6
Matt Shoemaker, Bench (already dropped $8 JD Martinez for Shoe)
I paid dearly for not listening to Grey saying that Closers are cheap in an Auction (ouch.)
And clearly light on SBs although, I think there may actually be 3 teams with less. I like the team but cannot believe I wasted at least $23 (had $20 left with 2 spots to fill-Got Y Tomas and D Santana which I prolly could have had for $ each.
Grey, would you make a move for SBs (trading a closer and a lesser hitter) or should I trade a closer (say Betances) and Wheeler for an ace (if anyone would actually bite)? Thanks!
I would not make a move for SBs right now… Or prolly ever… If your league is shallow there will be steals on waivers… Hold your closers for now too
@Grey: Thanks Grey!
No problem
@Grey: Sorry Grey, one more question. With 12 starts max per week (and unlimited weekly moves) should I dump a bench bat for another SP? Thanks again!!
Nah, not right now
@job3rd: In other words, stream a bench bat or stream Shoemaker’s spot?
@job3rd: Nevermind. Thanks!
@job3rd: Note that there was huge inflation early: Rizzo-$34, Rendon-$33, MadBum-$29, Wong-$15 (same as my Kipnis), Joey Bats-$41, Posey-$24, Abreu-$39, Kinsler-$22, Aroldis-$21/Kimbrel-$20, Sale/Strasbrg-$28, F-Her-$31, Kershaw-$39, EE-$39, CarGomez-$40, Altuve-$34, McCutch-$47, Goldy-$44, Stanton-$43 and Cano/Tulo-$34. Shizz was cray cray.
Hi Grey glad to see you were able to tough out the rough Palm Springs winter. Nice draft You nailed it wit Miggy in obp. And I always rate Chapman first as a closer with that k rate. Eovaldi on the Yankees they always push the cutter. With his stuff that could be huge. It made Greene look good. When I saw Dom Brown all I could think of what did you do in Seattle and did you get the negatives. Your absolutely love affair with Gyorko runs deep. I actually expected a hockey side sleeper post on Jurco by you. Good luck with your team. Be first on the wire.
I live in LA, Cougs’ parents are in Palm Springs, so I just go there sometimes… Thanks on the team thoughts! I think Brown could surprise, but if not, hopefully I can figure out a different solution
@Grey: Late round flyer on Brown is ok I drafted Brown , Longoria, Myers, KH Davis, and Hosmer and they left me in such a deep early hole in H2H I guess I carry a grudge.
@Toe Knee Arm Ass: Last year
I hear ya
E5 for Santana/Hamels. Santana slots at C, would move Chris Davis to 1B
I’d want E5
What the h-e-double.hockey.stick do we do with this Boston outfield situation? I want Castillo’s five-category potential but I’m worried that, even when he does get a roster spot, he’ll be in a platoon. Same goes with Betts – I like that he could get me 4-5 categories, but I don’t want a part-time player on my roster in such a shallow league.
Avoid both?
I wouldn’t avoid at the right price, but I think they fall into some kind of platoon
@Grey: At least until Victorino gets injured/traded. I think the latest Mookie buzz will make him too expensive in my auction draft, but I’d still like to grab Castillo as a cheap OF3.
Yeah, agreed
Hey Grey – just went through a blockbuster trade in my League and wanted to get your opinion on it (should you have one!).
Being that I own both Darvish and Stroman in this particular league, I felt the need to bring in more pitching. To that end, I ended up trading Superhero Mike Trout and Greg Holland for:
Carlos Gomez, Strasburg, Teheran, and Drew Storen.
Seems like a win for us both since he’s got some pretty good depth at SP.
Sounds fair
Cool – thanks, Grey!
@Grey:
No problem
14 team, 5×5 dynasty league
I was offered Greinke for Daniel Norris and James Paxton.
Am I an idiot to turn this down?
I don’t like Greinke, but it’s fair for him
@Grey:
Thanks! Yeah I’m leaning towards passing since I think Greinke will fall off this year or next…but needed some justification that this deal isn’t a no-brainer.
No problem
Strasburg and Chapman? Is this Grey’s doppelganger? That pitching looks like a solid staff in a 12 teamer. Way to zag.
Surprised you took Davis ahead of Pollock and Myers. I still like him, but I’m concerned about the Parra platoon factor. Might’ve gone with a C1 like Ramos or d’Arnaud at Lawrie’s spot too. Zunino is quite the OBP drain.
Those are just minor things. Love the pitching. I think Morales and Gyorko could provide sneaky value where you got them too. Looks like a contendah.
Davis was my one regret… I went by Rudy’s rankings and Davis was way above Myers (who I likely would’ve taken), and I just took Myers in my NFBC and didn’t want to double on him… Lawrie I don’t mind over a C1…
@Grey: I’m surprised that Rudy has Davis that high in this format. He projects as a .315-.320 OBP player with a 7% BB% or so. Might lose some ABs to Parra too. Not a terrible pick, but there might have been some safer options on the board.
I like Lawrie and usually don’t fret over a catcher, but in a two catcher format, I’d be a bit uncomfortable with Zunino as my C1. He’ll probably give you 18-22 HRs, but they’ll come with a .215 average and a .275-.280 OBP. Your other players will have to pick up that slack elsewhere.
Yeah, Zunino’s a drain, that I likely didn’t need, but I decided to punt catcher and that was where I ended up… Pollock is 244 overall, Myers 144 and Khris is 108 on the rankings I was using… Davis is a $14.9 player with a $1 at OBP and a huge $6.4 at HRs with 553 PAs, Myers is $11.8 and $1.4 at OBP and $3.7 at HRs with 581 PAs… In hindsight, I prolly should’ve went Myers since I needed OBP more than the power…
@Grey: Wow, shocked to see Pollock that low. He looks like a .335-.340 OBP player who should contribute across the board. Could score a bunch of runs if he sticks at the top of the lineup too. I do like Davis. Just needs to hold Parra at bay.
He does have Pollock for 563 PAs too…. He’s a negative on HRs and RBIs and $6.3 overall… Steals are may asset at $5.8
@Big Magoo:
Pollock is getting plenty of love among experts these days.
I think next year I’m going to try and track NFBC ADP weekly and graph each players change in ADP over draft season.
I like him too: https://razzball.com/aj-pollock-2015-fantasy-sleeper/
I will say that people liking him last year didn’t help him stay on the field though
I felt like I reached for pollock on razz/NFBC in 12th – if he stays healthy and gets 140 games, I think he gets 10/30
@Rudy Gamble: do you think 15/30 ceiling this year?
maybe 15/35. have heard raves about his speed and think that’s where he can overperform projection most https://razzball.com/player/9256/A.J.+Pollock/
@Rudy Gamble: he’s crazy low in your rater this year but without a full season I get that….But oh that April/May last year was such a great peak into the what if healthy window.
@Big Magoo:
I’m a little less bullish on the pitching I’m afraid, my friends. Carlos Martinez has stuff but hasn’t demonstrated command. At best he’s solid but still whippy. Cingrani does absolutely nothing for me. I didn’t like him when he was hot last year and I don’t like him now. If you have poor command and no secondary pitches you’re not going to succeed long haul. Petit won’t have a rotation spot for at least a couple of months barring injury. I like Eovaldi. Norris has less than 250 professional innings.
I like your top 2, though I just don’t love Stras quite as much as I know the two of you do.
So that means there’s a lot hanging on Salazar. He’s got some warts, but if he looks more like 2013 and you hit on your upside you look great, but I this doesn’t feel like an ironclad staff to me.
Stras is a top 5 arm in the NL East, easily… I do need to hit on more arms than I would’ve liked later in my staff… Cingrani, Salazar, Martinez is a headache waiting to happen… I’m hoping Peavy/Petit (I consider them one pitcher) covers for one of Cingrani, Salazar, Martinez and two of them hit…
@Grey:
Ah yeah I missed on Peavy. You can consider them one but you gotta be hoping it’s Petit. As far as Stras goes, yeah I figure you and Magoo are right on him. Just something in my spider sense worries me where he’s concerned. Hope they all hit for you. High reward for sure.
Peavy hasn’t been awful in the NL West in his career, but agreed he’s not exactly exciting
@GhostTownSteve: I definitely like Stras, Aroldis, and Arrieta. Salazar and K-Rod too. I’m with you on Cingrani. Think he’s a bullpen arm. C-Mart is a wild card. Boom or bust, but the price was right to take that chance, I think. Peavy/Petit looks like it could be a worthwhile gamble too. All in all, for a 15 teamer, the staff looks pretty solid to me.
@Big Magoo:
Yeah I might have been too quick to judge. At the point in the draft where Cingrani went there weren’t hecka other options. Not sure of the format so don’t know how many deep you gotta be in the SP column.
And honestly getting bankable top two and then going all upside isn’t a terrible idea.
@GhostTownSteve: Or a bankable ace and then all upside. Just check out our team, haha.
@Big Magoo:
I think Archer, Lackey and AJ Burnett have pretty established baselines.
@GhostTownSteve: Yeah, that’s why I grabbed Lackey and Burnett in the reserve rounds. Needed some stability at the back end of the rotation.
@GhostTownSteve: I love lackey late this year, St. Louis gives me the good chills
Hi Grey! I’m excited for the new year but I have something I need to ask you. Sorry for the long post but I need your wisdom. I know you don’t sign up for the pitchers early in the draft routine but I think it all depends on the league. My head to head points league seems to greatly favor superior pitching. Last year I had these offensive guys, C.Santana, Rizzo, Carpenter, Desmond, Kipnis, Trout, J.Upton, Harper and Polanco, most of which are so highly ranked by you, yet because of my pitching I finished 7th out of 12 teams. I also had Fielder and Brantley but I traded them for Grienke and Gio Gonzalez, I know that was horrible, everybody gave me shit last year when I posted it. Outside of Grienke, Cobb was my best pitcher and he stunk. I didn’t have anyone reliable and had to pick up 2 start guys every week and they killed me.
This year I’m drafting out of the 12th (back to back picks) spot in our 12 team league and I really want to take 2 great pitchers out of the Scherzer, Kluber, Strasburg, Price, Bumgarner group. I know that Kershaw, Hernandez and Sale will already be gone. Again, I know you don’t like the strategy but based on how my league seems to favor great pitching can you sign off on me doing this? We only start 4 starting pitchers every week and I figure if I can get 2 great ones with my first 2 picks then I don’t have to worry about drafting another starter for 8 rounds, this way I can get all batters for a while and fill out pretty much all of my starting batters. Thank you Grey!
In a points league you need top flight pitching… I’d hit up Malamoney for Points League questions… https://razzball.com/points-leagues-kershawshank-redemption/
Ok great. Thank you!
No problem
Yup + gotcha = Yupcha
Ha!
@Grey: I have a portmanteau a week thing going right now
Yupcha
@Grey: HA HA DIX!
Aw, I miss Wake
@Grey: he’s been popping into the FCL, its actually been a little slow in there this year. With the epic loss of Sky and Oaktown we need a bounce back to really bring back the boys club feel we had. I gambled on Nick the Dick and Matt Truss coming in and injecting some life to the party. I really hope Nick doesn’t let me down.
I just missed my morning Wake chuckles
@Grey: he is named wake up and not back to bed
@J-FOH: I’d sooner let down my enitre family before I let you down Foh
Haha
@nick the dick: thats my boy, now go harass the crap out of cram in there
In an auction league roto $260, 10 teams. I need 6 pitchers. My keeper is F.Hernandez ($23).
I know this is very general but in a vacuum pick a scenario:
Pitchers 2-6 would you rather spend – $12-16 on 2- 5 and $1 on 6.
or $12-16 on 2-4 and $1 each on 5 and 6. Saving me more money for offense.
Only $1 on 6
I go to the F&F league page everyday to see if TC has joined and every day i leave a little sadder than the day before.
Oh and Rudy vs. Grey is done and delivered. I just hope i dont get shown the door after this one *fingers crossed around a four leaf clover*
I asked him, he didn’t reply
@Grey: I tweeted him and he left me hanging like a fatherless child waiting at the baketball courts for his Jewish Big Brother
Ha, yeah, surprised he didn’t reply, he usually does… I might’ve been marked as spam
@Grey: I should of done the tandem selfie with him and tweeted it every day until he responded. I’m hurt yo’s.
Such a one night stand!
@Grey: I had a brostand!
You’re over your allotted weekly portmanteus
@Grey: bonusmanteaus!
Pretty snazzy pitching staff there, Grey. Even with Stras!
Thanks!
@Grey: A little surprised you took Marte where you did, actually!
He’s too high everywhere for my tastes, so this will likely be the only time I have him… I felt I needed some speed after Miggy though, without it being a strictly speed play
@Grey: Makes sense. Best thing that can happen is he plays like a top 40 guy!
15 HRs, 30 steals, .270 is absolute ceiling… So, top 25 if lucky… You’re right though, I prolly drafted him at his ceiling
@Grey: Amen, Sista. You gotta break some eggs to make an omelette every once in a while.
Amen, brotha!
Wow, happy Will Ferrell day.
Grey, I have a hang over from my first baseball championship last year. I need to get excited about reading your always informative articles but I just cannot bring myself to do it. What should I do????
A fire burns to repeat in true champions
@Grey: So what you’re telling me is i should light my championship trophy on fire and inhale the smoke until i start tripping then go into the mountains for a weekend then comeback with a renewed “flame” to get dirty and rebuild that trophy in my honor once again? Can you build something to honor yourself or is that looked down upon?
If you don’t build a giant mustache out of twigs and old Twix wrappers, I don’t know you
@Grey: Do you take check or credit card, cause that was a real therapy session! Your words have hit me hard like mike stanton hitting a baseball, I mean Giancarlo.
I’m happy to be of service, and Stream-o-Nator’s gonna cost you this year so you’ll have time to pay
I know we touched on this while you were drafting, but anything other than wanting someone different behind taking Marte instead of J-Up?
Have got my
stupidH2H draft (we count OBP as well as AVG) on Sunday and with where you and Yahoo have him ranked, I could see me facing a similar decision, especially as we’ve grown to 14 teams this year.I believe Rudy’s rankings were a little higher on Marte, Miggy has no speed so I wanted more with Marte and I just drafted Upton in another league, so not much to it…
Love the Marte pick in the 3rd round. I had him flagged for 3rd round in LABR (with an earlier 3rd round pick) and he was already grabbed. Would’ve gone Marte over Dickerson and then wouldn’t have gone Hamilton route. Might’ve worked better for me w/ Dickerson/Hamilton but Marte over Upton is a no brainer to me (I am super bearish on Justin Upton this year – Petco + negligible speed)
@Rudy Gamble: Thanks for the input, Rudy – much appreciated.
@Rudy Gamble: Oh – would H2H – where I know you’re much less interested in speed – make a difference to how/where you would draft Marte?
@SteveNZ: I’d still take him over Upton. But I would prolly ignore SB for rest of draft
funny story but not really.
On Friday night when we went to the last bar across from the hotel I got chatty out on the patio with a few of the natives. I forgot to tell you we actually got invited to some after hours party by some 21 year olds. Well, I’m in the airport grabbing a bite before I flew out and some girl comes up and taps me on the shoulder. I turn around and its one of the girls that wanted to party with us from the bar and she works at the airport. Tells me she saw that beard and knew right away it was me and asked me why we bailed out on them. Then did a lot of blah blah blah and gave me the old you should hit us up when we come back to Phoenix, hugged me and left. It was really weird and flattering. Very random but now I know this skunk beard is like walking around with a sombrero in the middle of new york city.
I don’t believe you got invited to after hours parties and didn’t tell me… Or I don’t want to believe that… Why wouldn’t you say something?!
@Grey: 21 year old Mexican girls and one of their boyfriends and his friends partying with us was not a good mix. I think of the group safety first and i didn’t want to take people, you guys, that I have never partied with to some random house with a bunch of young hot head mexicans. Sky’s little excursion after the LABR party showed proof enough that he is oblivious to how the rest of the world works. My street smarts said no on Friday night.
Ah, yeah, sounds a lot less appetizing now…. Good call!
@Grey: I protect my brotha’s, I’m good like that…..now if it was all stewardesses who didn’t speak any english who wanted us to come give them full body massages then of course we would of gone
Haha
I would think Springer over Strasburg would be a no brainer for someone that doesn’t like Strasburg. Springer’s ceiling is way higher but they are both risky. Cano in the 1st round of OBP is terrible. He’s a clear 2nd-3rd rounder. On the other hand same guy (Paul Greco) snagged David Ortiz incredibly late. Insane value.
@Lance: I completely agree with your Cano statement but he is top OBP 2nd baseman
@J-FOH: Look at the projections / player rater values for Altuve, Rendon and Cano then do you still agree Cano is the top OBP 2B?
Heck I’ll do the dirty work for you:
Player R HR RBI OBP
Cano 77.3 17.8 80.5 5.8 .356
Altuve 83.2 8.7 61.5 37.3 .340
Rendon 85.9 19.6 74 11 .348
Rudy’s player rater order = ALtuve > Rendon > Cano
I’m not saying that’s gospel but I think clearly the projections like both guys as much or better than Cano.
@Lance: as do I, I’m just saoing that he has been at the top the last couple of years and people like to draft on scarcity. Another factor is some believe last year was an adjustment for him and he should be better this year. I try to keep an open mind and look for why some of these “experts” do what they do. In a 15 team OBP league a lot of 12 team thought gets tossed aside pretty quick.
Cano’s not the top 2B anymore, in any format
@Grey: no shizz, but perception is he still is by some, thats all my point was
I’ll accept that
@J-FOH: these two statements aren’t the same point though
“he is top OBP 2nd baseman”
“perception is he still is by some”
Yeah, Ortiz sat at the top of my board for about 3 rounds, I just couldn’t pull the trigger on clogging my UTIL
@Grey: Yeah I get that. I totally disagree, but I get it. I’d be much more concerned with his decling BB% and general decline than him being a UTIL clogger.
I owned him in OBP last year and it’s a daily league. I did an experiment to see how many games his “clogging” actually cost me. Pretended he was a 1B then counted how many times that additional flexibility would have helped me play another guy that day and it was like 5-6 times all year with a bench of 2-3 hitters.
I’ll probably write a piece on the myth of “UTIL cloggers”.
Yeah, I’d be interested in reading that, and I did consider Ortiz, and if he were 32 years old, I might’ve bit… I just couldn’t do it for him this year…
Happy Will Ferrell Day. Albright I guess you get a kick out of this. Like me you enjoy when weird diamond shite happens (position players pitching comes to mind among other things).
Anyway, the Farrell thing got me googling around for famous people who also played baseball and along the way discovered some other weird stuff.
Dwight Eisenhower was reputed to love baseball so much that he played CF on a minor league club under an assumed name in violation of the West Point honor code.
Game show host Bert Convy was a minor league left fielder
Macho Man Savage was a catcher in the Cards system….yeah!
George Halas player right field for the Yankees
Clayton Kershaw’s great uncle Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto
Patrick Duffy is Barry Zito’s uncle. His mom and dad were musicians who worked for Nat Cole.
John Edward “Beans” Reardon. This is just kind or my favorite bit of weirdness. He was an umpire who worked several all-star and WS games. He was the home plate umpire for Babe Ruth’s 714th home run. After he retired he built a very successful Budweiser distributorship which he sold to Frank Sinatra for half a million dollars. He was the model for Norman Rockwell’s famous Bottom of the 6th painting. And most importantly he was a good friend of Mae West, from whom he received a nude photograph every Christmas.
@GhostTownSteve: I just went and looked it up some peeps too.
Kurt Russell – he made it up to AA ball in 1972 with success batting .563 in six games for the El Paso Sun Kings of the Texas league. Russell’s lifetime .292 average and .726 OPS weren’t enough to propel him to the big leagues.
@J-FOH:
Yeah his dad was a pro ballplayer.
Gene Kelly the dancer preferred baseball.
Ghostown you watch the Kurt Russell minor league baseball documentary? It’s solid if you haven’t
@Grey:
I’ll have to check it out if I ever get a tv or whatevs. I think you can watch shows on computers now?
Yeah, it’s netflix so you can definitely watch on the ‘puter
Love the Macho Man fact, and had known that… He was Randy Poffo then… The Duffy thing I didn’t know, that’s awesome… Zito hopes to wake and realize everything since his Cy Young is a dream
@Grey:
Nice
Grey, can you pick up the pace on your players to target articles, my draft is in 10 days, hehe. Thanks
Hoping to do next one tomorrow, assuming no big injury news today
Who do you guys like or better yet pick two : : Shoemaker , Quintana, Wheeler, Archer or Ventura ? As a fourth Starter. 13Team 6×6 roto.
Thanks
Wheeler
@joeg414: Wheeler, Quintana, Shoemaker for me
Also add Wacha to that list. Thanks again.
Keeper question-
Springer with a 21st round pick
or
Lester in the 16th
I usually like to keep the bats because arms have the tendency to fall off. But Springer is a bit of an unknown and if he doesn’t run any because of the quad he’s not as special as he’s ranked. I don’t think I can go wrong, but which would y’all prefer?
WWGAD
(What would Grey Albright Do)
That’s what my bracelet says…
Springer
Nice bracelet, btw
Iwakuma for Machado pretty fair yes?
Yup
Tulo or Desmon ? 13 Team 6×6 roto.
Desmond
Would you want Byrd or Dom Brown?
@nick the dick: a kick in the nuts…byrd
@J-FOL: yeah theres no good answer i know
Brown
Y! 12-team 5×5 roto:
What do you make of the Rusney Castillo situation? Is there a good chance he claims CF when he’s healthy or do you see him sharing time with Betts? Would it be worth a speculative move of dropping Castillo for Soria?
My current roster:
OF = Stanton, J Upton, Myers, Yasmani, Avisail, and Castillo
RP = Boxberger and Giles
I think it’ll likely be a timeshare… But I’d hold Rusney for now
@Grey: Thanks Grey!
Longoria and Upton or Miggy?
@booya: Miggy
Miggy
Im having a nice draft right now…ill post it …should be done in about 30 min
@jef with 1 f: can you feel my bated breath through the screen?
@jef with 1 f: can’t hold it much longer…..