The deadline will have past by the time you’re reading this, so I’m sorry that I can’t meet or exceed all those expectations. What I can do is give you the in’s and out’s of middle relief. Wait, why did everyone just get up and leave? There is punch and pie at the end! So is everyone else confused on what to do with Will Smith?… yeah, me too.  He’s been getting beat up lately needs a vacation. Smith leads the league in appearances, is the leader in appearances with the lead by a non-closer (41), and has pitched an amazing 17 times on consecutive days. He has rewarded you with 19( albeit painful) NSVH, but his recent implosions may lead me to think there could be a better option for the time being. His BB/9 over the last 30 screams bad news, (P.S., it’s in the seven’s). I mean, I know the 24 Holds this year is all good and looks like a Canal St. watch, but if you have someone that just reads stats and doesn’t read between the lines of fantasy too well, see if they give you a name you like better. My best advice is pull a Judas Priest and run for the hills. Stay tuned for some charts and fun words and sentences that lead to abbreviated paragraphs. Good luck in the week to come.
- A surging team produces all the goodies… Brad Boxberger has shined in the set-up role in front of Jake McGee and in the absence of Joe-L. He has lead the MLB in holds over the last two weeks with 5, and posting a not so bashful K rate of 19.5 over that span. I like the shape of that… where’s my clown horn? Oh, I forgot, I pawned it.
- Wherever he lands, I like what Neal Cotts may bring a team the ROS. He has nothing great that screams “oohh I want it”, and you fold over his page like it’s the Sears catalog. The honest reason is– the Rangers starters are just awful every non-fifth day or Yu’s day. Which sounds like Tuesday, but isn’t. Â He is going to go to a contender and settle down in front of the team’s closer, and do what he’s been doing all year, but get noticed like a HS girl that first summer after she grows you know what.
- The once promising arm of the Braves penner Shae Simmons has fallen down and went looking to buy even more consonants for his first name. He is hurt, basically, and his numbers before DL’ing showed it. Jordan Walden is the guy to own here, with a sprinkle of David Carpenter. Walden’s last 14 games: 3 Holds with a K an inning, and he’ll get better with no one else in the high leverage chair for Holds.
| Player | Holds/BS | Appearances with Lead | In. Runners/IR Scored |
| Brad Ziegler | 26/5 | 32 | 17/6 |
| Tony Watson | 25/5 | 34 | 8/2 |
| Will Smith | 24/5 | 38 | 26/6 |
| Tyler Clippard | 23/3 | 29 | 3/0 |
| J.P. Howell | 22/0 | 28 | 29/2 |
| Joba Chamberlain | 22/2 | 32 | 9/1 |
| Casey Fien | 18/2 | 27 | 14/2 |
| Wade Davis | 18/2 | 24 | 5/2 |
| Brett Cecil | 17/2 | 27 | 29/9 |
| Luke Gregerson | 16/6 | 31 | 21/8 |
| Mike Dunn | 16/1 | 20 | 21/4 |
| Joaquin Benoit | 16/0 | 24 | 5/3 |
| Darren O’Day | 16/4 | 32 | 23/6 |
| Yoervis Medina | 16/1 | 21 | 14/3 |
| Brian Wilson | 16/2 | 28 | 5/3 |
| Pat Neshek | 15/2 | 25 | 24/6 |
| Jeremy Affeldt | 15/1 | 23 | 20/4 |
| Dellin Bettances | 15/3 | 25 | 35/9 |
| Adam Ottavino | 15/3 | 26 | 30/8 |
Are we adding Quackenbush if Benoit gets dealt? Also, are the chances of Papelbum getting traded almost zero at this point?
@Joe: sorry for late response. I’m guessing neither since Benoit is still a father.
The deadline would have past? You me passed
If Benoit balls gets traded would it be quakenbush or thayer?
@Jimbo: Karmic retribution from the iphone, should say mean passed. I am an ass
@Jimbo: me fail English that’s unpossible
Hey Smokey
Which one do you like best for s+h, ratios, k’s going forward?
Jepsen, Boxberger, Walden, ODay, Cotts, Clippard, Neshek, T Watson, W Smith
Thanks!
@Wacha Wacha: lots of good choices. Walden,boxberger, Jepsen, Neshek.
10-tm 10×10 H2H limited moves league (20/yr, I have 12 left and am comfortably in 1st place, all other top-5 teams have 5-9 moves left). NSV and HLD are 2 of our pitching cats. I like to have 2-3 closers and 2 MR. With Soria’s trade I now have only Allen at closer, and Watson, W Davis and Soria for HLD.
I’m thinking of dropping a MR for a closer now that the deadline has passed. Is Soria the first drop here? He’s on the best team but gave up another run today. Watson’s slowed down but is still getting HLD. And who’s the better pickup–McGee or Britton? McGee’s been better lately but his team just got worse, and Britton’s been no slouch.
Or should I just hoard my moves and wait until the playoffs start? It looks like there’s no real threat to my regular season lead, and with the league settings there’ll still be closers available in a month.
@Steve Stevenson: soria for Britton makes most sense. Britton has sexy sp elig so that helps.
NL only where i’ve been saved from Carmart’s scary stats but crazy high upsideyness by STL. currently dropped him for c.anderson. but i’m right about at projected innings to take on another starter, so i’ll wait to see if beckett looks even half decent (on bench), if not who to pick up: (net saves/holds/RW)
hatcher/de fratus/delgado (he’s been very good for a while now)/kahnle/d.carpenter (finally starting to rebound, no holds lately)/chuck newtown/marshall (most holds out of this group lately)/russell/le clure
@Montezuma’s Revenge… right now: it’s Delgado or I would like to see how Atlanta uses Russell as they have been looking for an effective LH