For those who read all my posts, you’re about to be punished by me repeating myself, but, during this Christmas break, I was in Palm Springs with Cougs and Mother Cougs out at a restaurant that had an elevator (Nobu). Any hoo! We’re exiting and Mother Cougs has a cane, so gingerly, and I’m tending to her because I’m the best son-in-law. Coming onto the elevator was four people, very tall, and I only noticed the very tall blonde girl because she stepped aside for us, and the other people were so tall I didn’t even bother to look that high up. So, we get back to the valet and there’s a Rolls SUV and I joked that they pulled my car around already and the valet says, “Ha, this is Freddie Freeman’s, did you see him by the elevator?” No! I did not! Because I was tending to my mother-in-law! Nice guys finish last! I absolutely would’ve loved to enjoy a nice little chat-a-roo-ski with Freddie Freeman. I would’ve exchanged digits and been like, “I’m your biggest fan,” while going back into the restaurant and sitting next to him, while sharing a spicy tuna on crispy rice. We would be BFFs right now! Do I want to draft him this year? Lol, stop. So, what can we expect from Freddie Freeman for 2025 fantasy baseball and what makes him overrated?
This isn’t just about Freddie Freeman having ankle surgery. There’s your mention of it. Do with that info what you want. This is last year:
This is the year before:
The Sprint Speed at 15 is just hilarious. I already mentioned the ankle injury and said I wouldn’t mention it again, so I won’t except for this mention of my previous non-mention. Freddie Freeman knows how to make good contact. He reminds me a bit of another 1st baseman who just retired: Joey Votto. At a certain point, making great contact, on the barrel, daddy-goes-smack-with-good-wood, just falls off a cliff. Look at this:
That’s Freddie Freeman. Here’s Joey Votto:
That only goes back to 2015, so there’s a ton of years not accounted for with Votto, but it shows that once you start losing That Thing You Do! you don’t regain it. So, T. Hanks, but no T. Hanks. I could go over every single stat where Freddie Freeman lost value. It’s just age, guys and six girl readers. It goes to his excellent plate discipline still, too. Of course, he knows where the plate is, he’s a vet with a great eye (and better teeth). He won’t fall off a cliff, but that’s not a requirement for this overrated post. He’s currently a top 25 draft pick which is way too high, and in the top 20 some places I’ve seen. He’s no longer that player. He’s a 20/7/.270 hitter. It’s fine, if you’re Ryan McMahon. Snap! Oh, yeah, I just snapped Freddie Freeman in half. Though, if run into him again, I will become his best friend forever.
Keeper league that we keep 12. The top 8 or 9 are obvious keepers but it’s the last two or three I’m having a difficult time with. Here’s my current keepers (unless, of course, you see something you don’t like):
Shohei Ohtani
Gunnar Henderson
Julio Rodriguez
Austin Riley
Manny Machado
Adley Rutschman
Mark Vientos
Lawrence Butler
Paul Skenes
Shota Imanaga
Bailey Ober
Bryan Woo
Here’s who I could keep instead but I’m not sure about:
Pablo Lopez
Eury Perez
David Bednar
Tyler O’Neil
Kristian Campbell (2B prospect/Boston)
Is there anyone you would switch out? Pablo Lopez is the one I really can’t figure out. I can’t stand him. He was terrible last year but somehow his numbers were decent at the end of the season. I like Campbell too but the Bregman trade makes me think he’s blocked to infinity and beyond. O’Neil is another tough one. He could dominate with the fences moved back in at Camden Yards.
Would you make any changes? Or go with the 12 I’ve currently got selected? Thanks.
Rehash from yesterday…
I’m in a QS 12er and when we’ve discussed this previously, you’ve recommended (and I’ve followed) grabbing more of a top guy in the 3rd-4th round. Do you still feel this way? Seems like QSs are getting less common/harder to find with every passing season…
I do
So we’re talking Gilbert or Kirby (they might need to fall a little) or the top end of Cookie Dough for a first starter?
Kirby is a little weak for QS, I think…That’s where I’d look at Rudy’s QS rankings…I think Gilbert’s prolly fine…
Yeah, Gilbert is fine – Ragans and Framber stand out in the QS rankings too. Would love to have three hitters before drafting a starter, hopefully all three are still there!
That makes sense to me
Need two more keepers in $260 5/5 13 team Roto for 2025. Who is odd man out?
D. Williams $10, Caminero $10, Machado $20
Thank you
Can see a case for any of the three…I guess lose Junior
Been loving the preseason content so far Grey! I wanted to bend your ear on a dynasty trade. I presently roster a staff of: Pfaadt, Pepiot, Arrighetti, Baz, Francis, Myers, Herz; Edwin Diaz, Bautista, Munoz, and Jax in 14T, 6×6 with IP as our additional pitching cat.
I was offered a package of Robbie Ray and Nico Hoerner for Diaz, Myers, and Pepiot. I’d have no issue parting with Myers or Pepiot, but worry that I might be selling low on Diaz. RPs are somewhat discounted in a format where Innings is a category and I have one too many relievers as is. Ray would be my staff “ace” and Hoerner would step into the SS/MI slot that Jose Caballero held down all of last season (it was a tough year!). Thoughts?
Thanks! Hold
Hi Grey,
I’m in a keeper league, 6×6 with OPS and K/BB. In this keeper league we use player salaries and have a salary cap this season of 190mil.
I have been offered Zac Gallen for Jasson Dominguez.
We keep 12 and draft 13 players each season. Keepers below with salaries to the right of each name:
Bryce Harper 26.538
Marcus Semien 26
Manny Machado 17.09
Trea Turner 27.272
Kyle Tucker 16.5
Jasson Dominguez 0.74
Xavier Edwards 0.74
Tarik Skubal 10.15
Nestor Cortes 7.6
Bowden Francis 0.74
Ryan Pepiot 0.74
Jackson Jobe 0.74
I can afford Gallen’s 13.5 mil salary, but Jasson is min salary and has potential to be great (I think). I’d hate to trade away a generational talent, but I’ve always loved Gallen.
Thoughts? Thanks in advance!
Big W
Sounds fair, I wouldn’t
Thanks, Grey. I agree with here that it does seem fair but FOMO is a real thing. I’ve seen your Jasson projection for this coming season. What do you predict a season might look like for Jasson when he hits his prime?
30/30?
Grey, I’ve got Skenes as a 13th round keeper for this year in a H2H points league, 5 keepers per team. One of the other owners is hard after Skenes and is currently offering 2 late 1st round picks plus either Crews or McClanahan as 15th round keeps. I’m looking at some combo of Matt Olson/Snell/Yamamoto/Chisholm with those late 1sts. Would you pull the trigger on that deal?
No
He wants to pair Skenes with Elly. He also offered me Elly (13th round keep and 3 mid/late round picks for Langford (also a 13th) for my 1st/3rd/6th rounds picks. I did decline, but I am 2nd guessing it. Elly did outscore Langford by over 300 points last year. Trying to determine if I’d rather have Elly and like Tovar/Robbie Ray/Vinnie P or Langford/Lindor/Gallen/random closer
I’d want Elly
I have the first overall pick in RCL #1 tonight and I couldn’t be more honored to start our community’s 2025 season off with five big booms! BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Haha, nice!
who you taking?
Ohtani Son
A bust
kid does not like your dc team tho. skibidi
This one I’m currently drafting? Really? Why?
just kidding. it’s me who doesn’t like it. i saw you take a swipe at me in a grimey comment. my team is mil besos. mille bissou!
have you ever used the side bet function on nfbc? i think we might need to try it out on this dc.
We use it with the RazzSlam
Your team is a mess, what does your kid think of it? Honestly, cover your name and ask him, then reveal it’s your team and he will look at you differently
my team has over all winner vibes. your team is the locomotive at the end of the ’64 Burt Lancaster film.
i love that you don’t like my team. i got all the guys who are going to be on your 2026 crow platter.
I’m gonna be Burt Lancaster in the sand kissing my team as the waves lap over us…
you’re gonna need the L. in Luis Ortiz’s name
of your many laughable pitching selections, i think Gore is my favorite. enjoy owning the living embodiment of an adam sandler melt down
the best part of me drafting Gore is I drafted him last year, and didn’t learn my lesson in any shape or form
learning is stupider than math
This is some great smack-talk, guys! Grabbing my popcorn.
Haha
An incredibly Boomer smack-talk … ;-)
genx hipsters.
Hahahaha
We’re smack talking about having a catcher in a fantasy baseball league, cmon
Yeah, a topic even the best hipsters couldn’t make appropriately ironic …
Haha
Haha so sensitive
I like your team Grimey
Thanks buddy. Can I borrow a catcher?
I like the shit talking has started!
Same! I only have two catchers tho, sorry…You could ask Oaktown–wait, he only has one
having two catchers is the flex?
speaking of catcherz, the kid got realmuto for $7 bucks. felt like a good price with even a little bounce back?
Yeah, that feels like a basement price and could be worth more if anything else
love grimey’s team. it’s super helpful to have a couple of completely non-competitive teams in the mix.
HAHAHA
Haha More shots fired!
Morning Grey,
Hope you’re enjoying the return of baseball.
I’ve a keeper query for you.
Deep, 16 team H2H Cat league w/ OBP and QS. 1 C, 1b,2b,3b, SS, 3 OF, 1 UTIL 5 P, 2 RP, 4 bench spots.
Can Keep 8 (year 4, league redrafts after year 5 – so I can keep them for another 2 years)
Who do you keep here (K denotes who I’ll be leaning towards):
Elly (K)
Corbin Carroll (K)
Soto (K)
Alonso (K)
James Wood (K)
Rooker (has OF elgibility already)
Junior Caminero
Casas
Wheeler (K)
Ragans (K)
Shota
Rey-Lo
Eflin
Houck
Edwin Diaz
Can’t decide between Rooker, Shota (and maybe Diaz but I typically don’t love keeping RP).
Would love your input!
Thanks in advance.
Tough call, I’d go Rooker
Hey Grey, I play in a league that is H2H Categories 6×6. The offensive categories are Runs, HR, RBI, SB, OBP, and TB. I love your rankings but I believe the stats my league uses would change things a bit for you. Having said that would I be better off using the 6×6 OBP rankings for my draft or is that still too far off given the categories? Thank you!
No, that makes sense…that’s what I’d use
Ty!
No problem
Do you trust Freddie in the $20-25 range?
Seems okay on low end of that if you must
Thanks- probably moot since there will be at least two guys that think he’s still a $35 player
At least
would you pay 29$
for who?
In a league that prioritizes quality starts and also has added value for number of innings pitched (so length and durability). Are there a few names that you aren’t necessarily in on for this year but you would move up your rankings in a league with these parameters?
We have QS rankings https://razzball.com/playerrater-preseason-espnmlb12-6x6qs/
Yea I’ve looked at those as well but I was just seeing if you personally had any names that came to mind
It would be vets like Seth Lugo, Wacha, Suarez, Berrios, then further along into the Heaney, Merrill Kelly types
Salutations, I had a question about Ohtani. You mentioned less then 5 % of leagues seperate him as a batter and pitcher. I’m pretty sure yahoo does . They even have him (the pitcher) ranked 163 … I must be missing something here or should I be drafting Ohtani the pitcher in all my H2H Yahoo leagues
Sure, if you can sit on him for a month
Thanks for all your insights!
Keeper question in OPS/QS league with 3 OF and one UTL spot:
Need to Keep 3 of the following:
Adolis Garcia
Randy Arozarena
Christopher Sanchez
Ronel Blanco
Luis Gil
Who are your choices? Should I go with all 3 SP?
Other OF on the team already: Oneil Cruz Jasson Dominguez, Jesus Sanchez
Other SP on team: Freddy Peralta, Pablo Lopez, Eury Perez
all SP
Thanks!
No problem
you probably heard verlander talking about the state of starting pitching and calling for rule changes. not sure i agree with his premise but just for fun i have conceived the following rule changes.
1. a starting pitcher may only be removed for one of these 4 reasons: 5 runs allowed, 25 batters faced, 110 pitches, injury (if removed for injury, cannot pitch again for 7 days).
2. no pitcher may pitch on consecutive calendar days.
love #1 for generally requiring sp’s going well to face top of order a third time
#2 probabably revives the multi inning reliever and forces teams to be more calculating in how to use pen, rewards deeper starts.
there you go mlb…take it and run
I like them, but the problem is where do you start them? You need to start them in like Single-A then slowly progress them or something because you can’t just say, go throw 110 pitches or 25 batters to Blake Snell or most starters in MLB
yep for sure. i’d love to see guys figuring out how to pitch below max effort.
25 batters isn’t a ton. if you give up 5 dings in 5 innings you hit the mark. it mostly takes away the game where a guy is dealing but you pull him as soon as the line up turns over to that 3rd time. would be kind of cool where a guy is forced to face that top of the line up again and gut his way through with diminishing stuff
Does this eliminate the opener forever? What if you have a starter get injured in pregame? Does the reliever who starts the game have to throw 5 ER?
i think it eliminates the opener
i think there can be injury exceptions. built in as long as there’s a mechanism built in to prevent abuse
I do like they need to be IL’d for a week if they can’t go, but then how do they tackle a start when short-handed needs to be less convoluted then “for this game they can do whatever, and the next because now they used yesterday’s starter today”
Bye-bye, Ryan Yarbrough
Cy Young winner Skubal faced 25 batters 15 of 31 games. (And 5 hits in 5 innings only makes 20 batters.)
math is stupid.
what’s the number of times skubal faced 21?
with 21 you get a guaranteed 1-3 hitter 3rd time
if my math is correct face palm emoji
All but 3 games.
And he still pitched 6 innings in 2 of those 3.
i think 25 is a good number as having a 5 and dive guy win the cy young
Well, Skubal went at least 6 in 25 starts.
Ha!
Ha, ouch
The dude that just hit the biggest bomb ever? Takes some big huevos, but love that you’re willing to put them on the line. Come to think of it, I’ve never had him.
Yup
The main reason to avoid is so you don’t accidentally draft Freddie Fermin with your second pick.
Haha
Grey
My ever changing ( I’ve made 6 trades since the new year ) 14 team auction league ( keep up to 11 ) currently looks like this:
Machado – 31
Jazz – 28
Harper – 23
Teoscar – 18
L Garcia Jr. – 10
X. Edwards – 10
R. Lewis – 12
Cowser – 4
Gilbert – 28
J Jones – 10
Pfaadt – 5
Was just offered Seiya Suzuki – 12 for my Royce Lewis – 12
The league has 5 OFs so positional wise, the OF benefits me more than the 3B at this point. however, Suzuki , after this year, his value doubles to $24 and Lewis will only increase to $14. Small things to consider as I always play for the current year.
Suzuki, according to most ranking systems, has a little more value. The trade analyzer has them too close to call. I think Suzuki may be safer, with Royce having the most upside. The brain says Suzuki, the gut is screaming keep Lewis. ( I traded a $3 Lugo to get Lewis because I believe that Lucy will not pull the ball from me this year regarding this post post post sleeper ) Anyways, was looking for fresh eyes other than my own to eliminate gut bias…etc…Would you keep Lewis or accept the trade and go with Suzuki???
As always thanks in advance and have a great day!!!!!
I’d want Seiya
If only Tuckers leg wasn’t broken when I traded freeman for him last year. There are no radiologists in Houston apparently.
Haha
Keeper question: 12 team standard roto. Can keep 10 forever
We are keeping
Olson 1b
Albies 2b or MI
Bellinger OF
Jazz 2b or MI or OF
J Duran OF
Doyle OF
Caminero 3B or CI
Clase RP
Kirby P
either Westburg, Anthony or Campbell
Who do we keep of these 3?
Thanks as always. Headed to some Red Sox and Twins Spring Training the next 2 weeks
Westburg
m’boy did his first nfbc auction yesterday with a little but not too much help from me. thought you’d like his price on Acuna. $22 bucks.
Yeah, since I paid $30! Very nicely down, Oak Jr.
in the course of the auction talking about who we like i’d drop some “albright likes him” and after about 4 of those he goes, “albright and i think a lot alike.”
HAHA, smart kid!
he got julio (favorite player) elly and acuna.
I love that start!
Blasphemous, but I get it.
Yeah
Grey!!!
A great article!!
a. For sure if you asked he would’ve acquiesced, Canadians do that well.
b. That’s eerie the visual drop off comparison with Votto! Eerie. Thanks, I almost fell for the storyline that he was concerned with the health of his son last year and this year will be dedicated to his son.
c. Rodney Dangerfield quote of the day for February 24, 2025
No, I was with one girl. She said, I don’t do this normally. I said, it’s all right, ’cause I’m a little weird myself.
Cheers,
Ante
A. Of course B. Eerie!
How concerned are we about Langford’s oblique? Keeper deadline is this Wednesday and was planning on keeping him for $16. Rangers say no worries mon (in a Jamaican accent for some reason?) but don’t you need your obliques to swing a bat?
A little concerned, but trying to wait until he returns in a week
How concerned are you about Parker meadows arm injury?
They said they’d have a full medical report on him tomorrow, fingers crossed