2017 REL Dynasty League Update: Week 2

Brewers Trade: Keon Broxton (OF), Ryan Schimpf (2B, 3B) to Diamondbacks for Archie Bradley (SP)

Phightin Phils Trade: Carl Edwards Jr. (RP) to Cubs for Ian Happ (OF – farm)

Acquiring the 40yr old Frank Rodney for Austin Dean is a classic example of playing to win now – – and as I said last week, I’m aiming for a Top 3 finish this year. Clearly, Rodney’s career is at the end of the line but he’s still a useful source of saves and holds. And that’s one of the categories – – along with SB, W and K – – that I’m focusing on to carry my team this year. Dean has shown flashes of being a dual threat of power and speed, but who knows how that will translate into the majors.

I’m looking to add a 3B and/or SS and would be willing to deal players off my active roster or farm system prospects or a combination of both. Don’t be afraid to send out trade offers to get the discussion started.

The good news is my pitching staff has over performed, and as long as they remain competitive I could compete this year. My current starting staff is Zach Wheeler, Jon Gray, Kyle Freeland, Brandon McCarthy, Senzatela, and Chad Kuhl. I traded Blackmon for Kuhl, and stud Pirates prospect Mitch Keller, and Taylor Hearn at the start of the year. I also have Marcos Molina in my farm from trading Cargo last year, so I should hopefully have a nice young staff for the next few years. If I can find a way to get some ABs until the Killer D’s (Dahl, Desmond) return I think I’ll be just fine.

I kept 5 pitchers, 3 Infielders and 2 OF’s for the farm.

With Fowler, Piscotty and Grichuk hogging the outfield for the next few years it blocks one my top prospects, Harrison Bader, from regular playing time when he gets the call. I’m hoping to find another outfielder not named Denard Span to utilize. I have Magneuris Sierra stashed in my one of NA spots and Jose Martinez for a fill in when one of the OF’s need a breather. At some point I need to make a trade.

Last week I picked up Gorkys Hernandez because Span played one game and hurt his hip. Keeping him on the roster for time being because Ol’ Man Span(I say that but we’re the same age)is going to get regular days of rest. I also picked up Javier Guerra as a stash. Don’t know if I hold all year but read an article about Guerra’s swing that quoted Edwin Rodriguez saying, “It’s a very fluid, effortless swing. Very efficient, very little movement.” Sweet! Oh, yeah, that was after comping his swing to Francisco Lindor.

Slow start for the REL Cards. Currently sitting in 12th place. Which I’m ok with because the real life Cardinals are in a 2 way tie for 2nd worst record in the NL. It’s not just me. My bullpen has been awful and the best performing pitcher so far has been Mike Leake. So happy to have C-Mart on the team though. I do have 6 SP’s on my team and I’m trying to help ERA and WHIP by rostering some RP’s from different teams; Neshek, Estevez(3 holds, 1 win), Maurer and Hudson. We’ll see. GO CARDS!

I actually came into 2017 kinda optimistic I could finish in the top half, but jfc that doesn’t look close to happening.  Got that harbinger of things to come when my ace – Junior Guerra – goes out after 3 innings on opening day.  Alex Reyes needing TJ was actually the REAL harbinger, on the first day of pitchers and catchers no less!  Hah.

So taking a look at how I’m going to mold this hunk of clay into a winner – projected rotation in the next 1-1.5 years: Alex Reyes, Josh Hader, Junior Guerra, Adam Conley, and the newly acquired Archie Bradley.  I sent over Keon Broxton and Ryan Schmipf in a “godfather”-esque offer to bring in Bradley.  I grew frustrated with other negotiations for young starters, and knew the Dbacks were interested in Broxton, so gave them an offer they couldn’t refuse.  Then Broxton gets a slam-and-legs and Schimpf hits a 2-run homer yesterday.  Hah!  Well both are older-ish and have no fit for my rebuild – especially with my OF depth – so I was thrilled with the deal.  Zona (real life) keeps saying they want Archie in the rotation long-term, so finding some max velo and going the Danny Duffy route is fine by me.  Bradley’s velo is way up in his couple bullpen appearances, and he’s added a 90+ MPH cutter.  Sexy upside, just what I need.  Then if any of the other guys I’m stashing hit – really only one of them – I could have one of the better rotations.  One might be Zach Lee, what a start at Coors!  5.1 scoreless innings and a win!  Haha, not expecting much there, but a fun little add I made that might eat up some innings, as I still would like to finish 10th or 11th.

I think the hitting side will work itself out.  I own a team with the 2nd best NL park, so it’s just a matter of getting pitchers elsewhere as my focus.  C is locked down and my OF is locked down, it’ll just be figuring out 1B-3B.  I mayyyyyyyyyyyyyy have overspent a little (hah!) on Nick Franklin, but owning a Brewers with 4-position eligibility is super valuable.  Not for filtering in spot starts, but for roster flexibility making trades.  So spent the extra dime to more easily maintain a legal roster while making more deals.

Thanks to everyone again for making the REL fully active and it should be a great year!

Tampa Bay Rays Trade: Mallex Smith (OF) to Mariners for Chih-Wei Hu (SP)

I am looking to trade one of Schoop or Trumbo, as well as some of my depth players, for pitching that can help this year. Let me know if you have any interest. Teams keep asking me about Chance Sisco and I currently have no plans to trade him, but will definitely consider it if I am still in contention this summer.

I have to admit this league is somewhat more challenging when you own a west coast team. Line-ups are not posted for the west coast until all the eastern games have started. That gives you next to no flexibility when your home team regulars get a day off. Example, Leonys Martin gets day off and I could have put Aoki in for him if I had known before 8pm EST. This can cost a Run a week and an RBI a week being conservative. Over the course of a season that adds up. Not sure what can be done to even the playing field. Maybe Jb and Slim can think of something.

Arguably my best hitter for average went down this week in Segura, if this team could hit just a paltry .250 I would be knocking on a 2nd place standing. As it is I am currently 4th. Still love this team to compete all year and my targets for upgrades in speed are paying dividends as I lead league in SBs.

I’ve locked up wins in both ERA and WHIP for the season, though the prospects for counting categories are bleak this year, so we will stand pat with 2 IP for the season. I know this seems sort of underhanded, but using my pitchers would amount to tanking. I should probably tank to get the top pick again next year, but I’m hopeful that I will have 23-25 guys I want to keep next year.

Obviously this team remains in building mode, and I have a collection of young players and prospects that give me hope for 2018 and beyond.

I’m looking to make deals for the future, so I would be happy to move some aging, though productive, bats for young talent. Probably the most interesting player I have available is Carlos Beltran. He was a top 30 OF last year, so he’s a valuable commodity. I’d also be interested in trading Mauer.

On the pitching front, I have a couple useful starters (Hughes and Gibson) whom I would trade for a prospect haul that would have to include a couple young/injured pitchers who are likely to contend for rotation spots next year.

Moves: I added Stephen Moya (DET-OF), Mike Morin (LAA-RP), Felix Jorge (MIN-SP) and Chris Gimenez (MIN-C) all for $0 to fill empty roster spots from all my DL players.

Some good news is that I’m surprisingly near the middle of the pack in the Saves/Holds category, despite starting the year with zero relief pitchers. Well, actually I did have Bruce Rondon, so let’s call it starting with “less than zero”. While I’ve been told it’s poor form to complain about how a human tragedy impacts your fantasy team (at least publicly), I should have even more holds/saves right now. Matt Barnes, who has looked terrific for the BoSox in setting up Kimbrel, lost his grandmother in week one and then took three games off for “bereavement leave”. I’m sure Grandma Barnes was a lovely lady and we all share in his loss, but to take off 3 freaking games to mourn, WTF?? Don’t mean to be insensitive to the situation, but come on young Matthew! I’m sure even your Grandma would have told you that the best way to honor her memory is to get right back on the mound and keep producing those late inning strikeouts. Regardless, I’m liking how my bullpen is coming together with the young arms of Barnes, Altavilla, and LeClerc (perhaps a darkhorse candidate to be the Rangers new closer?).

After great anticipation, was also excited to settle in and watch my future ace, Adalberto Meija, start his first game for the Twins on Saturday afternoon. As Terrell Owens once said before a big game “Getcha Popcorn Ready!”. Well, I did just as TO suggested, but by the time the microwave was done, sadly…so was Meija. Yep, my Saturday afternoon was spent munching on tear-soaked popcorn after young Meija only lasted one and a third innings.

Still consider my REL Royals to be at least a year or more away from being competitive and nothing in the first week changed that opinion. Unless things turn around for the real-life Royals, I’m expecting a major organizational fire sale in the coming months of guys like Gordon, Moustakas, Escobar, and even Cain (who I don’t own). Reloading with some high-level prospects, wouldn’t be a bad thing from my perspective as that would bring (finally!) the Royals organizational strategy more in line with the REL Royals. If they do follow through, my only remaining question will be “what took so damn long?!?” The need for a rebuilding strategy was obvious to everybody else a year ago.

On a different note, the pitching has been okay. Not great, but not bad. Now granted, as of yesterday I had 1/2 a point less in the pitching categories than the team that has 3 IP on the entire season. That kind of ends what was supposed to be the happy part of the update on a sour note but what can you do when your team is all alone in last place. I guess some of my farm guys have had a decent game or two, so there’s that. At least the actual Jays are in last place in the entirety of baseball, whereas I’m actually ahead of both the Braves and Brewers in the REL. The Brewers. A team the Jays not only couldn’t beat in 2 tries this week, but couldn’t even score a run against yesterday. Apologies to JB, but, that’s pretty sad. And so is my team right now.