We’re back with the REL updates! I know what you’re thinking, “blah-ty blah, JB’s vanity league, blah-ty blah.” Well, you’re right! But we have two really competitive leagues with a lot of great discussion and some very interesting trades going down – things I haven’t seen anything close to in other leagues. My goal will be to make the REL rules the most common fantasy league out there! OK, well, ain’t no one gonna wanna play in a league where Andy Wilkins is owned, but whatever!
Despite missing last week whilst I was on vacay, there’s really not too much of a change with our frontrunners, as the I-95 corridor continues to reign terror on the league. The Nats have an astounding 135.5 roto points out of a possible 150 in the NL, and the Orioles have moved to a 19 point lead in the AL. It’s time to revolt against the overlords in (and around) our Nation’s capital! Here’s how weeks 9 and 10 went down in the 2016 REL League:
| NATIONAL LEAGUE | ||
|---|---|---|
| REL Dynasty – NL | ||
| Nationals | 135.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $100 | n/a |
| Cubs | 127 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $96 | Albert Almora Jr. ChC – OF (called up) |
| Pirates | 103.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $66 | Carlos Torres Mil – RP $2 |
| Suplex City Cards | 101 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $86 | n/a |
| San Fran Giants | 100.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $83 | Albert Suárez SF – RP $5, Christian Friedrich SD – SP,RP $2, Ichiro Suzuki Mia – OF $0 |
| J.T. Marlin | 89.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $100 | n/a |
| Mookie Mets | 84.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $95 | Jake Barrett Ari – RP $2, A.J. Schugel Pit – RP $0, Chase d’Arnaud Atl – 2B,3B $0 |
| Knoche’s Rockies | 74 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $72 | Daniel Wright Cin – SP $3 |
| Dodgers | 70 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $100 | Julio Urías LAD – SP (called up) |
| Diamondbacks | 65 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $97 | n/a |
| Philadelphia | 63 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $48 | n/a |
| Cincinnati Reds | 58 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $5 | Jerry Blevins NYM – RP $0, Adam Liberatore LAD – RP $0, James Loney NYM – 1B $25, Jimmy Paredes Phi – 2B $23, Kyle Waldrop Cin – OF $3, Matt Bowman StL – RP $0, Ramón Cabrera Cin – C $0 |
| Brewers | 48 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $57 | Marco Gonzales StL – SP $0, Manny Bañuelos Atl – SP $0, Andy Wilkins Mil – 1B,3B $0, Scott Schebler Cin – OF $0 |
| We’re here! We’re tanking! And we’re proud of it!
Ya know, this is still the only full-tank I’ve EVER done in a fantasy league. Sure I’ve “been a seller at the deadline”, but I’ve never taken such an unabashed approach to a team. But alas, I accepted the rotten hand that is the Brewers and pounded the pavement for trades to rebuild this ish from the ground up. I was hesitant to pull the trigger, but in my latest deal, I moved Robbie Ray for Giants SP prospect Tyler Beede. Beede hasn’t show the velocity or Ks that was expected when he was drafted, but he was pitching a little better in AAA when I nabbed him. All he did in his last start was 8 IP 0 ER 1 H 1 BB. Sure only 2 K, but whatever! He’s gonna pitch in a good pitcher’s park and while Ray is still young and has upside, man he was frustrating. His last few starts since the trade haven’t been great either – the best thing he’s done is hit a monster 2 run homer last outing. Pitcher HR should count, dammit! The farm is coming together quite nicely, even though my biggest prospect Alex Reyes was atrocious his last AAA start. I’m actually cheering for him to be bad – stay down there! Let him be a farm keeper for me next year! Then nothing is as exciting as what Josh Hader continues to do, which is utterly dominate AA. 57 IP 0.95 ERA 1.00 WHIP 73:19 K:BB. Those guys plus Zach Davies pitching really well lately gives me some pretty big hope for the future. Hitting wise, The Sheriff Jacob Nottingham started DREADFULLY cold in AA but has since been awesome hitting 5 HR the past few weeks and raising his average from .159 to .256 over the past month+. And I almost forget I have Willson Contreras, who is hitting a ho-hum .343 with 9 HR and 27:27 K:BB in AAA. Also, even though no one really cares, I will mention I only added Andy Wilkins since I am nearing a deal shipping off Fat Adams and needed a 1B fill-in – might as well be a Brewer to keep the numbers up. On the FAAB front, I was really excited to nab Scott Schebler for $0. He had some preseason buzz, and yes his playing time seems questionable with Adam Duvall hitting a million HR, but he’s heating up in AAA with 3 multi-hit games and 3 HR in the past 6. Also decided to take the flier on Marco Gonzalez recovering from TJ, as more and more pitchers are coming back BETTER post major surgeries. We’ll see. I’m running out of assets to trade, but still open to any offers any time. Junior Guerra is on the block if anyone wants some of those sweet, sweet Ks! |
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| Braves | 40.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $84 | n/a |
| Jay the Wrongest | 40 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $100 | n/a |
| AMERICAN LEAGUE | ||
|---|---|---|
| REL Dynasty – AL | ||
| Orange Birds | 122 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $81 | Marco Hernández Bos – SS $0, Chris Parmelee NYY – 1B,OF $0, Enny Romero TB – RP $0, Deolis Guerra LAA – RP $0 |
| The Tribe | 103 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $79 | Taylor Rogers Min – SP,RP $0, Joba Chamberlain Cle – RP $0 |
| Well if you’re in second place overall and tied for last in saves/holds category, you know what you have to do. I stated a couple of weeks ago that we were in to try to win it this season so we traded a couple of our best prospects. Zimmer is considered by most to be the best prospect in the Cleveland system. He has the tools to be a very good power/speed guy. The question is what will his BA look like. McKenzie is probably my favorite player in our low minor league system. He has a high upside but at 18 years old is probably years away. The big get for me in this trade is Chapman. With Allen and Chapman we should start to make a climb out of the cellar in saves. If our hitting can hold up I believe he gives us a shot at catching the O’s. We also picked up Ellsbury in the trade. It would go a long way for our hitting holding up if he could stay healthy this year. He’s should still have a couple of years of solid play if he can stay healthy but that is a big if and I am Cleveland. I’m happy with the deal. I think it firmly places us as contenders this year. We shall see.
Still need power and willing to deal. |
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| Blue Jays | 102 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $96 | Reymond Fuentes KC – OF $0 |
| I guess since we haven’t done an update in a couple of weeks some things have changed, though it certainly doesn’t feel like it. I’ve added Raymond Fuentes (again) and got Jason Grilli when the Jays traded for him. I guess I’m okay with the Grilli addition, though I don’t have real high hopes other than him being a decent 5th reliever, which is fine I guess. I’m hoping Fuentes can maybe steal a base or two, which is what I really need from him. Well, that and to hit for a decent average if he gets some playing time. Though if he does play, it may be at the expense of my other Royals outfielder Paulo Orlando, who’s slowed down a bit after his torrid start to playing for my team.
I’ve also got Tyler Naquin who was called back up thanks to Marlon Byrd’s stupidity. He promptly started hitting exactly like he did in spring training managing back, to back, to back games with home runs, despite only getting more than 2 at bats in one of those games somehow. Here’s hoping he can keep at least some level of that up, because he has a great opportunity for playing time and could make a nice 3rd outfielder for me. A quick look at the standings tells me that I’m in 3rd, and I was as high as 2nd a couple days ago. Unfortunately it’s not as good as it sounds because there is about a 20 game gap between 1st and 2nd. I’m not sure how the Orioles have gotten so far ahead, but kudos to them as they are dominating at the moment. In the minors I still don’t have anyone doing anything exceptional, though I’ve got a few guys going about their business with decent results. I’m interested to see how the draft plays out and who the Jays bring in, though they don’t have any really high picks, so no big time studs for me I guess. |
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| Mariners | 101 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $72 | Nick Franklin TB – 1B,2B,SS $6 |
| Red Sox | 101 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $53 | Drew Stubbs Tex – OF $14 |
| Tigers | 90.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $68 | n/a |
| Astros | 88 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $74 | Bryan Mitchell NYY – RP $0, Jefry Marte LAA – 1B $0 |
| Rays | 78.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $4 | Peter Moylan KC – RP $0 |
| White Sox | 76.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $85 | Ryan Pressly Min – RP $1, Juan Centeno Min – C $0 |
| Halos | 75 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $61 | Ashur Tolliver Bal – RP $3 |
| Yankees | 71.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $65 | Buck Farmer Det – SP,RP $0, Nick Goody NYY – RP $0, Paul Janish Bal – 3B,SS $7, Slade Heathcott NYY – OF $0, Jeff Manship Cle – RP $0 |
| When I took on the task of owning the Yankees, a childhood dream come true without the lucrative vaults of cash and constant borderline bat-shizz crazy fan pressure, the imminent idea of rebuilding was about as clear as my car windshield without the daily bird droppings.
Thus, rebuild mode finally took some shape this week with my biggest trade to date with the shipping of D’Ellsburied and The Cuban Missile Crisis to the heartbreak capitol of America in Cleveland for what I believe are 2 of the Indians top 3 prospects in Bradley Zimmer and Triston McKenzie. To be frank, no not you Frank, but being frank, I am not as high as some on Zimmer, but I am excited to add some up and coming youth to the pile of aging vets mounting on the trainer’s table. Zimmer could help as soon as next season and McKenzie, fingers crossed, has about as good of a chance as a prospect pitcher has to become an ace in my opinion. The problem is one, waiting, and two, praying it all works out. Is there someone I should direct these wishes to in advance? Some sort of anti-TJ wizard or something? Anyways, we’re looking to compete in 2 to 3 seasons. Here’s hoping that Cashman also takes my advice and helps me out by dealing some players to the NL for additional prospects too. (Just maybe not Chapman now since II wouldn’t get the return). Let’s move those pawns into punting formation sir. |
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| Royals | 65 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $84 | Brett Eibner KC – OF $7, Drew Butera KC – C $3, Taylor Motter TB – 3B,SS $3, Evan Scribner Sea – RP $0 |
| After taking over the Royals Franchise a few weeks ago, I’m truly excited to be part of this league and while I’ve always been more of an NL guy, what could be better than taking over the defending World Series Champions, right? However, my initial optimism has quickly faded into realism and resignation (and on the way to hopeless despair) as I realize, this just ain’t gonna be my year. Will be looking to move pieces like Dyson, Kendry Morales, Alcides Escobar and the red-hot Eduardo Nunez in the coming weeks for some young arms and bats with upside.
Things were looking up for the Royals until they started inexplicably colliding on the field and randomly taking each other out…Moose out for the year after colliding with Flash Gordon, who is also out with a broken wrist. Sal Perez dodged a bullet, but was still out for a week after colliding with Cheslor Cuthbert. Cuthbert, not being on my team, of course emerged unscathed. Made a modest FAAB Bid to pick up Brett Eibner, who showed a little promise in his brief 3 games replacing Flash, but alas, he turned his ankle chasing a fly ball and ended up, where else…on the DL. Even top pitching prospect Kyle Zimmer landed on the minor-league DL. Our league has a generous allotment of 5 DL spots, but still not enough for the Royals this year. On the bright side, Chris Young returned back from the DL and is ready to once again anchor my staff…oh vey! |
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| Power Rangers | 61.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $74 | Chris Giménez Cle – C $0 |
| Athletics | 43 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $83 | n/a |
| Minnesota Twins | 21.5 | Waiver Adds and Prospect Callups Past Week: |
| FAAB Remaining: | $70 | R.J. Álvarez Oak – RP DL $0, Justin O’Conner TB – C NA $10 |
