The title of this post was nearly, “F*ck Luis Cruz.” If that guy gets in the way of my last round draft pick of Dee Gordon, I’m gonna be none too happy! Or is that “I’m gonna be some unhappy?” While Hanley Ramirez is out with a thumb injury, I want Dee Gordon to play for a month and for the Dodgers to say they won’t play Luis Cruz. I homophoned you! If anyone out there drafted Hanley already, I want to see your faces. Push them against your computer monitors or your handheld mobile devices. You are traitors to Razzball. I said specifically — or pacifically if you’re on a boat off the coast of California — not to draft Hanley. Word for word, “I’m done with Hanley until we see a return to his previous glory.” I didn’t even bury the lede. That’s the first freakin’ sentence of my Hanley blurb on the top 20 shortstops for 2013 fantasy baseball. I hope Hanley’s out for 3 months, returns to hit 7 homers with 12 steals and someone drafts him in the 3rd round of 2014, too. Know why? Because no matter how many times I tell people to ignore position scarcity, they don’t listen. You need to jam a cotton swab in your noggin like Lena Dunham and clean out your wax. (BTW, season two of Girls — meandering, pointless, adjective. Biggest drop in quality from season one to season two for a TV show since Heroes.) The Dodgers are saying Hanley could be out anywhere from two weeks to ten weeks. If you drafted him, you don’t read this so I’m talking to all the people who didn’t draft him. Send an email to the Hanley drafters. Subject: Trade Offer. Body of email: Any interest in trading for Yunel Escobar? I’ll take Paul Goldschmidt. Click send. Now unfriend them on Facebook. Done. Anyway, here’s what else I saw in Spring Training for 2013 fantasy baseball:
Zack Greinke – Booya, snitches! Greinke threw four scoreless yesterday without any….wait for it…here it comes….shoot, I left it in my other pants….here it is…without any PAIN! He should be good to go to start the year in the rotation. That news comes a day after I drafted him 68th overall. To the bold go the spoils is a cliché I just made up. I’m the bold in this instance. Greinke’s the spoils. Damn, I quit smoking cigarettes about nine months ago, but I feel like I just took a pull off a Newport and started coughing up blood — I’m alive with pleasure! Now we just need Greinke to get through 33 regular season starts and 240 innings. dwqnjosfdncxy– Okay, will cross my fingers when I’m done with this post.
Ryan Madson – Has had discomfort in his surgically-repaired elbow. Since we’re in late-March, it’s too close for discomfort, Jm J. Bullock. Madson’s currently limited to long tossing, which is great if he’s training for the Olympic hammer throw. Since he’s not, I’d file this under, “Frieri is gonna close until at least mid-May and maybe for the better part of the season,” which is filed right before, “Frieri is gonna close until at least mid-May and maybe for the full season.” You can imagine what a pain it is finding file tabs long enough to write on.
Tommy Hanson – Was lifted early from his start due to his right triceps. He said he’s fine, I say he’s about to pop his 2013 DL cherry. He’s just another guy you shouldn’t have drafted in any league. If you did, then Mmmcrap.
Albert Pujols – Dealing with plantar fasciitis on his left foot. If it were both feet, it would be plantar fasciitii. This shouldn’t be an issue going forward.
Chone Figgins – The “League Minimum” Marlins cut Figgy. This could be the end of the road for Figgins… But the start of a whole new road: getting Arte Moreno to finance a starring role for him in a remake of Cop and a Half.
Emilio Bonifacio – Blue Jays said earlier this week that he might share playing time with Maicer Izturis. Honestly, I didn’t even want to write about this because it’s total nonsense. Izturis might see 150 ABs, if Bonifacio stays healthy. I’d still draft Bonifacio as a late round flyer for MI.
John McDonald – Pirates acquired him from the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks tried to give them Tyler Skaggs too, but the Pirates refused. The talks on the McDonald trade started in December, but it took forever for two poorly run franchises to come together. “No, you take our top pitching prospect!” “No, you take OURS!”
Derek Jeter – Could start the year on the DL. The Yankees are currently reaching out to Bobby Meacham to fill-in.
Chien-Ming Wang – Threw yesterday for Yankee scouts. They had him throw from between second and third base.
J.D. Martinez – Could platoon in right with Ankiel. Fernando Martinez is also in the mix. If Bo Porter goes with J.D. and Fernando Martinez, it’ll make it easier to fill out the lineup card. That is the only upside for anyone here.
Brian Roberts – Started three straight games. The Orioles are erecting a new consecutive games counter: the manager’s right hand.
Matt Adams – Expected to make the team in a bench role. During one of our previous drafts, here’s what Rudy said to me on IM. You got screenshot!
Billy Hamilton – Headed to the minors. There he’ll work on converting to a center fielder and Judaism. First thing, changing name to Billy Brisketon.
Scott Baker – Has been shut down from throwing. Baker said he couldn’t raise his arm with yeast. Doh.
Brett Lawrie – Played catch for the first time since his rib cage injury. Without any setbacks, he should be fine for the start of the season. If he continues to play like a five-month-old puppy that just drank six Red Bulls, he’ll have a setback.
John Danks – Working his way back from shoulder surgery, he gave up ten runs in three and a third the other day. He’s now the first official case of the Disgraceful List this year.
Ian Stewart – Won’t be able to start the season due to his left something to be desired quad. Luis Valbuena will start at 3rd base and give the gas face.
Pablo Sandoval – Says he’ll be ready for Opening Day. Better be, otherwise they’ll just be the San Francisco Medium-Sized People.
David Ortiz – Will start the season on the DL, but took some swings the other day and said he felt good. His heels rolled their eyes, saying, “Because you don’t have to carry around you.”
Al Alburquerque – The Tigers are either going to bring back Jose Valverde or go with Al Alburquerque. You know where Al Alburquerque is from, right? Santa K, from the great state of New Mexiclosero! Al Al’etc is a great late-game flyer in all leagues. If I had to guess one closer that could come out of nowhere to become a $12 Salad, Al Al’etc is my guess. Go to your waivers and get him now. Seriously, this will be here later. Go now!
Shelby Miller – The battle for the Cardinals’ 5th rotation spot rages on between him and Joe Kelly. C’mon, Cardinals, make Shelby-ville a popular fantasy destination.
Andrew Cashner – Threw well yesterday without incident. Yes, he’s gonna be in the first Buy/Sell of the season. Yes, as a Buy. To read more, I just went over him yesterday in the starters to target.
Mike Zunino – The Mariners sent down their top catching prospect a week after Danny Hultzen and Taijuan Walker. In related news, the Mariners are now the underdogs for their last scheduled Spring Training game vs. their minor league team.
Mike Olt – Sent down to Triple-A. No real surprise here. Once the Rangers signed Lance Berkman and made a commitment to have the best team for 2007, Olt was out.
Ryan Braun – As I was drafting the other day, I saw him listed in ESPN as Ryan Braun, MI LF. Forget the Hebrew Hammer nickname; he’s now The MILF.
Okay, I’m here. Loud and proud. Hanley will be back in 3 weeks and still deliver his 20/25 with ease. All this did was help his draft value for those of us that don’t listen (cuz it hurt too bad when you said Carlos Gomez was hot garbage before last year, or that Dee Gordon was a steal – punny! – or that mini Donkey would come save us some day… bad Ian Stewart bad!)
Unite Razzball contrarians!! :)
@birrrdy!: I dealt Hanley in a keeper league early last year and I have very little regret. The guy’s a bum.
@Grif: But a bum who had 24 HR/92 RBI/21 SB.
@VinWins: Zing!
@Jack Full of Hate: Had surgery, out at least 2 months.
@quimmy: I stand corrected. He’s a bum! Dodgers must be pissed since this happened at the WBC in the hot corner they did NOT want him to play.
@birrrdy!:
Hey birrrdy, I got a deal for you.Had to go to the bathroom during my last draft and they auto picked me Big Papi. His heels are almost healed and he’ll do 20-25 too. Days every month on the DL. Call me maybe ? LOL
@Big AL: LOL
Espn 12 team league 6×6 TB replaces Hr and BB No Sv ADD QS and L
My pitching is solid, but my team is light on avg and sbs. Who should i drop/pick up? The best available hitters are Aoki, Frazier, Segura, Eaton, Markakis, Ackley, Yunel Escobar, Yonder Alonso
C Lucroy
1B Goldschmidt
2B Gyorko
SS Reyes
3B Machado
MI Lowrie
CI Swisher
OF Bautista
OF Harper
OF Shin-Soo Choo
Util Ethier
P Wainwright
P Medlen
P Samardzija
P Morrow
P Niese
P Bailey
BN Beckett
BN A.J. Griffin
BN Fiers
BN Gee
BN Cashner
@Always Wright: Your team doesn’t look light on average or steals…
@Always Wright: I’d still drop Gee for Aoki. Guy’s too good to be on the wire.
Did big Al just get the Razzball bump?
@The Guru: I think he might’ve…
Why would someone who ignored you to the point of drafting Hanley have listened to you to the point of drafting Goldschmidt?
I kept Hanley ahead of Lincecum & Konerko. So I’m down for 2 weeks out and a Zager & Evans season. from him.
@Czernobog: Not sure…
Not going to lie Grey, as someone who drafted Braun a few hours ago, this makes me nervous….
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports that Major League Baseball “is honing in on Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun as two main targets” in their probe of the Biogenesis clinic.
Advice: Passan writes that, “in addition to being the two biggest names in the Biogenesis logbooks, Rodriguez and Braun have in the past provided MLB with information about alleged PED use the league believes to be false.” One source involved told Yahoo! Sports that “there’s no question in my mind they want those two guys.” This certainly doesn’t sound good for two of baseball’s biggest stars. MLB has already suspended Cesar Carrillo 100 games due to “unsatisfactory” cooperation in related to the Biogenesis probe, and it sure sounds like more suspensions could be coming.
@letsgobravos:
That was a week ago. The MLB is going to have to have some seriously hard evidence to get Braun. Just b/c his name is on a list at a “supposed” PED clinic doesn’t mean squat (as a matter of fact, it is a hell of a lot less than what he got off on). The MLB might be focusing in on him, but he’s not going to get suspended unless there’s something FAR worse to come out of the clinic investigation.
@apoxonbothyourhouses: Hopefully the information and evidence gets to FedEx this time.
@AA:
Unless Braun blatantly lies to MLB they would have to catch him on a drug test to suspend him.
@letsgobravos: You should know that Passan is basically an idiot. That should ease your mind some.
@JoeC: disagree. I think Passan is legit.
Just wanted to get some thoughts on Oscar Taveras. Is he worth drafting in a 12-team mixed league with keepers? Do we think he makes an impact in 2013?
@Jackie:
in a keeper league? yes. Depends on where you draft him, I think. I think, personally, his real impact won’t be until the 2nd half of this year (if at all) but NEXT year he’s probably going to be VERY good and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a top-3 round draft pick in 2015.
@apoxonbothyourhouses:
I would be very surprised if he still availabe in a keeper league. If he is then you are not in a very good keeper league.
Go get him as a keeper.
I’m ok with no capitalisation in IM conversations, but glad to see Rudy got the spelling of the adverbial intensifier correct. Not everyone does…
@Steve: Huh?
@Grey: effin’
Oh… Hehe…
damn, albourqurque was drafted in 18th round of my 16 team draft. I got Benoit in 26th round; i guess i’ll hold just a little longer, just in case. Does any body know a good place one could find a money league for between 50-120 bucks, that has at least 14 teams with snake draft (non-forced autopick) with at least normalish (22-26) rosters? Preferrably with draft on the last 3 days of the month. I’ve been looking on Yahoo/espn for these kind of leagues, not as easy to find as i’d thought. Thanks for any help from anybody.
I took your advice and added Alberq.. lets just call him Al.
Dropped Skaggs even though he was a prospect so cost $0 in my league, but had noone else to drop and really wanted to snag the potential Tigers fireman. Right call?
@TheNewGuy: Sounds good for now…
Who would you start at 2B in a H2H, OBP and total bases league: Howard Kendrick or Kyle Seagar? In addition, who would you start at SS: Andrleton Simmons or Jean Segura? Thanks Grey.
@Kyle H: Howie… Simmons…
In Grey I trust, just having a super hard time trusting Al given his Marmol-like walk rate. The issue is master-exacerbated by the fact that he pitches for a contender. Maybe in PIT I’d bite. But in DET, Benoit looks ripe for the picking. He hasn’t lost his stuff at 35 based on his double digit K rate. But let me asterisk this and say that it still looks like a closer by committee and I could see Al as a situational closer pitching against players who are less patient.
@ADP: Yeah, could be a closer by committee…
My team may be a $12 salad, but even I didnt draft Hanley. Also, at 2b I have Daniel Murphy, I am thinking of picking up Brian Roberts, he will be good this year, right?
@Buffalo Runner:
Brian Roberts wont stay on the field long enough.
Posted this before, but new news has come out. I have 3rd pick in my draft next week. I am assuming trout , miggy (1,2)….. Braun at 3 is a little scary considering he could be facing suspension from providing poor or “false” information….. Should I pick anyone else, and if so who?
@Ryan:
Andrew McCutchen aint too shabby.
@Whatever: or Prince. Or… I don’t blame you being worried about Braun. But if he doesn’t get suspended (which I’m not so sure he will), you’ll be missing out on a monster. But you could do much worse than Prince, McCutchen, or others.
What’s your read on Oakland’s plans for Lowrie? Punted MIs and ended up with him among a few others.
@Tigres: 450 ABs if he stay healthy…
@Tigres:
Lowrie looks to be a lock for consistent playing time. As it stands right now he has looked the best of all the MI candidates. Sure, health is an issue, but Lowrie will get his AB’s if he can stay on the field
Drop D Hernandez for Al Al in deep 5×5 keeper?
@Scott Luke: Yup
9 pitcher question for strategy.
Greyyyy,
Currently have 7 startes and 2 legit closers.
What is the formula for 5×5 12 team pitcher rosters? Any Razzball links/articles for pitcher management?
Would have like a third closer but all drafted with most “peeping Toms” already rostered.
Worth dropping Ryu or Griffin for a MR strikeout guy or hold until someone merges from the depths of Atlantis ??? Hold ???
Alburquerque or kenley?
@J.R Ewing:
Kenley is the better talent, Al has the better opportunity at this point.
I posted this on another thread. Let me know if I need some help.
2 Chases, 1 Ut
6×6 10 team h2h. What u think?
5 Matt Kemp, LAD OF
16 Justin Upton, Atl OF
25 Adrian Beltre, Tex 3B
36 Jose Reyes, Tor SS
45 Madison Bumgarner, SF SP
56 Ben Zobrist, TB OF
65 Chase Headley, SD 3B
76 Max Scherzer, Det SP
85 Ryan Howard, Phi 1B
96 Nelson Cruz, Tex OF
105 Jonathon Niese, NYM SP
116 Paul Konerko, CWS 1B
125 Salvador Perez, KC C
136 Alejandro De Aza, CWS OF
145 Chase Utley, Phi 2B
156 Mike Minor, Atl SP
165 Adam Eaton, Ari OF
176 Alexi Ogando, Tex SP
185 Tommy Milone, Oak SP
196 Tom Wilhelmsen, Sea RP
205 Steve Cishek, Mia RP
216 Glen Perkins, Min RP
225 Norichika Aoki, Mil OF
236 Wandy Rodriguez, Pit SP
245 Kyle Kendrick, Phi SP
@B3: Why’d you draft Headley? Team looks a bit wonky after the Niese pick…
Here is a little hilariously scientific advice from Matthew Barry today:
Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Red Sox (going in fifth, take in the fourth): Gut call he stays healthy this year.
@Sawx10: his fans in the comments are the absolute best. i read it just to hear them blow him.
@Sawx10: Brilliant
I did ask this in another thread, but I’m guessing you’re not checking older ones anymore.
In a 12 team, NL only, 6 keepers that you can keep as long as they’re in the NL, would you keep Headley?
My keepers are: Kemp, J Upton, Strasburg, O Taveras, Desmond.
Options for the 6th: Headley, P Alvarez, Motte, A Eaton.
Thanks.
@KD: I’d keep Alvarez
Girls may have took a hit in quality season two, but I only tune in to see lena’s beautiful naked body anyway.
@Blairtch: Mmm-mmm
Could someone with insider let me know the 8 names on Keith Laws breakout list of 2013? No need for analysis just looking for the names.
@vinnie: Dom Brown, Matt Moore, TIllman, Porcello, Lawrie, Minor, Belt and Heisey
@vinnie: 1 CF Mike Trout L.A. Angels 6-1 217 20
2 RF Bryce Harper Washington 6-2 245 19
3 LHP Matt Moore Tampa Bay 6-2 205 22
4 SS Manny Machado Baltimore 6-3 185 19
5 RHP Shelby Miller St. Louis 6-3 195 21
6 C Travis d’Arnaud Toronto 6-2 195 22
7 SS Jurickson Profar Texas 5-11 165 18
8 C Devin Mesoraco Cincinnati 6-1 220 23
Last year, it’s no better than anyone else’s list.
@Grey: Thanks guys
Just found out I’m picking 4th in 12 team league. Blech. That is all.
Coming from a former Parliment Lights man (quit now for 1 year, woot woot), the first thought was…
Newports?
@jaywrong: ah the P-Funks! Quit now for 3.5 years. Man if that shit wouldn’t kill me I’d still be on that bandwagon… And yeah, I didn’t peg Grey for a Newport guy. Maybe Kools. But not Newports…
@Wilsonian: I love quitters!
@jaywrong: The wife and I quit 25 days ago! So far so good, nobody has killed anybody…..yet.
@A Hill O’ Beans: Keep it going man. Sunflower seeds and pornhub helped me out a ton.
@jaywrong: I like Newport’s motto the best… I smoked P-Funk’s, as well…
@Grey: heh, good point. Seems like only the cool peeps smoke the plights.
@jaywrong: P- Lights are hipster grits. I always have a special place for Pall Mall non-filters, still pick them up time to time when I can find them for their rich surpisingly smooth taste. Camels and Newports for me!
Is it quitting if you only smoke when you drink?
Does smoking doobies count as smoking?
Cashner, Hammel or Griffin? You have Griffin highest in your rankings but I know of your love for Cashner.
And thanks for the AL tip. I had Santos as my last closer but knew I would need a replacement eventually so pulled the trigger now.
@TheBravesWearPrado: Go with Cashner
Hey Grey Good morning… I apologized today to you on JB’s page But I didn’t know if you were gonna see it.. These guys were mocking me alot and I just flipped out. I acted like a child and I’m sorry. Also I love baseball and this is the first year I’m ever doinf Fantasy. I really have no Idea how to pick but I was wondering if you can help me out??
@Frank Lynch: No worries, it’s all good…
I heard ya loud and clear on Hanley, Grey. But when he was still available in the 6th round, I had to grab him (no, it’s not a two-team league)
I may still regret it.
@Gweilo: I would’ve took him there too…
8 Team H2Her (5 player keeper, too). Need a little more closer with high K potential. Al Al is there. Who do I drizzop for him (just for shits, I’ll post the whole squad):
C – Perez
1B – Prince
2B – Espinosa
3B – Longo
SS – Tulo
OF – Upton #1
OF – Jones
OF – Upton #2
UTIL – Jennings
UTIL – Ike
BN – Frazier
BN – Middlebrooks
BN – Machado
BN – Myers
SP – Gio
SP – Scherzer
SP – Moore
RP – Holland
RP – Hanrahan
P – Broxton
P – Gallardo
P – Lester
BN – Minor
Stats: H, R, HR, RBI, SB, AVG, OB+SLUG, W, QS, SV, Ks, ERA, WHIP, Ks/9
@Wilsonian: With Frazier, there’s no reason to have Middlebrooks, Machado or Myers. With Ks/9, drop all three, grab Al-Al and two high-K MRs (Ryan Cook, David Robertson, David Hernandez, etc.).
@CT Old School: looks like Chapman may be the team’s closer, so Broxton might be the one to go. There are a couple other RPs with closer possibilities out there (Marmol, Veras, Parnell) that I could take ahead of the MRs.
@Wilsonian: broxton
Should I drop Gyorko or Carlos Gonzalez for Al Alburquerque?
@Dominic: Nope
@Dominic: Did you really just ask if you should drop a guy drafted in the first round for a “potential” closer???
Hey,
Jordon Pacheco has C eligibility in Yahoo. Will he get enough ABs to set-it-and-forget-it?
@CT Old School: I doubt it…
In my RCL league, 12 team that drafted on Saturday, I got Greinke at 82!!!
82!!!!
82!!!!!!!!!
82!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
just for the comparison, someone took Pedro Alvarez at 71…
82!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Remy: The fact that someone took Alvarez 71st, makes me wonder about that league… Nice on Greinke though…
@Remy: Wow, Greinke went at 46 in my RCL that drafted on Saturday.
The real shocker is that Pedro went with pick 182, that would be 111 picks after he went in your RCL. WOW! 71? I got Ian Desmond at pick 71.
@A Hill O’ Beans: I got Greinke at 67 in RCL..,
Should i drop tommy hanson for al alburqueque? (Please say yes. Tommy hanson for is my most regrettable pick ever). I could also cut danny espinosa, i have rutledge and Andrus.
@whampwhamp: I’d hold for right now… Hanson is bad though…
Can you put a dollar value on Ike Davis, Lawrie & Weiters? I know where you ranked them, but want to get an idea for the difference in value between them.
Great stuff as always Grey.
But you think Al Alburquerque is going to push Bruce Rondon aside?
@Huh: Thanks! I do… We’ll see…
Hey Grey and Grey’s ~,
So from yesterday, what order would you pick these guys up in from the waiver wire?
Bud Norris
Chris Tillman
Kyle Kendrick
Felix Doubront
Andrew Cashner
Nate Eovaldi
P.S. If you ever start a Rock N Roll/ Rap group, or maybe even just a fantasy baseball gang where all you do is go around beating up Matthew Berry, possible group name…Grey Albright and The Mustachios.
Grey – Please help – I have a H2H points league draft tonight. I have the 3rd pick. My plan is to take McCutchen…even before your rankings came out, I was high on him and taking him wherever I could. However, with the new news (stutter) out about Braun, if he falls to me do I take him or let him fall more?
@Errin Carner: I’d take Braun before McCutchen
@Grey: As a guy who drafted Braun a few days ago… glad to know the stache ain’t worried about no suspension.
Keep those baking jokes coming!
Hey where’d you see that AlAl is the closer? I can’t find anything confirming that, or doing anything more than speculatively discussing it.
@royce!: I’m speculating, as well…
Lynn or Aoki a better fit for my 8-team NL-only roster? (no DH or UTIL spot to work with…)
C Martin / Ruiz (on the bench until his suspension ends)
1B Rizzo
2B Hill
3B Wright
SS Rutledge
OF Stanton
OF Choo
OF Beltran
Bench or DL – Crawford
SP Bumgarner, Zimmermann, Minor, Haren, Estrada, Cashner, Chapman (if he closes I’ll have to trade him or Kimbrel since we only have one RP spot)
RP Kimbrel
Would you look to trade pitching to upgrade any position spots?
@Jon: Aoki… Can now trade Kimbrel or Aroldis…
Reds expected to announce Chapman to the ‘pen today. Source The Cincinnati Enquirer
@Oaktown Steve: well I guess that’ll make my decision of who to drop for Al Al a little easier…
@Oaktown Steve: Thanks for the heads up!
Do you think this pitching staff is good enough to compete? 12-team league.
SP- Wainwright, Medlen, Kennedy, Fister, Bailey, Tillman, E-Jax, Fiers
RP- Rodney, Putz, Wilhelmson
Thanks! Great site
@Heisenberg: Thanks! Yeah, I do think it’s good enough…
Cmon dude you must be up by now, I have to get up at 6am each morning!
Just got the most bizarre trade proposal… been trying to flip Trevor Bauer for a closer in the league that I drafted about 10 days ago and offered him straight up for Tom Wilhelmson… to my absolute shock the counter offer was Wilhelmsen and Jimmy Rollins for my Trevor Bauer, Domonic Brown (last round flyer pick) and Danny Espinosa…
I am not into Rollins this year at all… BUT that said, he’s absolutely an upgrade on Espinosa… I’ve searched for news just to make sure I’m not missing some hidden injury on Rollins or some report Wilhelmson isn’t closing… I have to hit accept fast on this right?
@Nate: Yup, accept
I know Grey loves his Giancarlo, and ranks him higher than most. But how high would you put him in a league that uses HR/RBI/OBP/SLG/NetSteals? Without the pesky runs and batting avg slots weighing him down, I’m trying to talk myself into taking him second behind Miggy. Too high? Drafting tomorrow night…
@Eddie: Could see bumping him up to top 5… 2nd seems a little high…
IMHO the biggest drop from season 1 to 2 in recent years is The Walking Dead #realtalk
@GT: Never saw it…
@GT: Blame Darabont for firing all the writers after Season One. Season Two was a bit of a drag at first but it ended well.
@Fooch: walking Dead = Most overrated show in tv histort
Chapman to close… /sadface
12-team h2h 6×6 w/ Losses and K/9 instead of Ks, would you be comfortable with an SP rotation of Hamels, Moore, Peavy, Harvey, Ryu?
@Charles: I would be, yeah…
Ok- i have pick 3. 7×7 league, counts Hits and OBP, and Holds and Quality Starts. Trout and Miggy will be 1 & 2…..Braun has been my choice for 3, but all this jibba-jabba (Mr. T’s voice) about suspension is scary as hell.
Should I still take Braun?
Cutch @ 3?
Cano @ 3?
Votto is an OBP beast…could be had at 3.
Who ya got??
@UncleLarryWalker: I’d take Braun…
By the way, notice how on Headley they have a really good idea of the prognosis. 4-6 weeks. Fractures heal very predictably. With Hanley it’s soft tissue so it’s anywhere from 2-10 to season ending surgery depending on what the MRI reveals. And that’s the kind of injury that lingers and nags and affects performance. Headley will be back end of April good as new.
@OaktownSteve: Ha… I hope you’re right on Hanley… I’d love to get Dee Gordon’s steals…
@OaktownSteve: I saw that 2-10 week prognosis on Hanley. Couldn’t they’ve just said, “He’ll start the season on the DL and be day-to-day from there?” Sheesh…
@Big Magoo: A little longer than day-to-day now, apparently…
Love that Billy Hamilton blurb.
I don’t know if others have commented on this recently, but the online War Room is still running pretty slowly. I’ve really enjoyed using the tool in my mock drafts and am hoping to make use of it when my real draft takes place this Saturday, but I’m concerned that it might be too slow. Is there anything that can be done to speed it up that hasn’t already been done?
Thanks!
@Dingbat: Thanks! We tried to speed it up… After the season starts we’re gonna look at some fixes for football war room and baseball next year, but for this year it’s gonna be slow for baseball… Sorry about it…
1) Congrats on 9 months. I’m coming up on 3 years. Don’t go back.
2) As someone who owned both Dee Gordon and Luis Cruz last year I am going to have to disagree with you on that one. If Cruz is your starting 3b or SS you’re screwed, but in leagues with MI/CI you could do a lot worse. If Gordon learned how to hit over the winter, then sure, but he’s useless if he can’t make it to first base.
3) Al Al or Frank Frank? (rhetorical….sorry, couldn’t resist)
@Fooch: 1) Thanks! You too! 2) There’s gotta be a way for him to steal one base a game… 3) Ha! Al Al…
@Grey: Steals, if i remember correctly, can’t get no satisfaction. No wait, that’s not right. What is it about steals again? Oh yeah, now I remember, they ain’t got no face.
Just got offered: Braun & Brett Anderson for Adam Jones, Cishek, & Parnell. Would leave me with Street, Perkins, Veras, AlAl, and Kenley as RPs. I’m thinking of jumping all over it…your thoughts?
@MattTruss223: by the way, I’d prolly drop Anderson for another RP or stream the SP spot…
@MattTruss223: I’d take Braun…
@Grey: Done like dinner! Fingers crossed on no suspension. Jones was a mid third round pick for me and the CLs, well, SAGNOF baby. Basically Braun in the mid third…To the bold go the spoils! Thanks for the nudge Grey!
No problem….
@MattTruss223: why do you need 7 closers or 5 plus 2 probables? Seems overkill. I would hold, and try to get something more useful paired with jones
@Jack Full of Hate: Meh, ratio help, K/9 help, get an early lead in saves and then sell them off. Or…sell them off now. People always tend to overpay for CLs at some point in the year. I stream a couple SPs and use the extra spots for RPs and bench bats on slow days. Its a strategy that’s worked for me. Basically, I’m like a crazy cat lady, but with closers.
@MattTruss223: Crazy closer lady…”those are my closers!” “But matt, he lost the closer job three weeks ago….my closers, those are mine” *drooling*
I completely mis-understood, not enough coffee yet today, I thought you were giving up Braun. Thats a no brainer with you giving up a two slurpees and a Jones
@Jack Full of Hate: HA! Exactly…
@MattTruss223: Yeah, I’m that way, too. In my 16 team dynasty league, I ended up with about 7 closers at the end of the season. All of them kept their jobs the following year. Given that the other 15 teams, shared the remaining 23 closers, adding one more closer significantly increased their chances of winning SV. I was able to throw in a few closers to sweeten some trade deals and increase the value of my team. Pick up a few more closers on the wire, and I still have more closers to deal. It’s all about scarcity.
@Jack Full of Hate: Oh, and this team’s biggest concern right now is average. Braun is a pretty big upgrade there. Though not without risk attached I suppose…
Would you trade Andy Pettitte for Domonic Brown? It’s a 15 team mixed league so pretty deep. Pettitte obviously was great in 2012 but Domonic has that upside.
@Frank Kim: I would
@Grey: Thanks!
No problem…
Mr Gray: VIVA International BB..
The first article I read was blaming the damage done by the WBC to the Dodgers…
Clearly, loud rock and roll hyper vapid idiocy sports talk zenophobia in action with that statement..
Blaming the WBC for something that could have just as easily taken place in a ST match is FFFF’n stupid!!!!
Look at the list of ST injuries and what share of them was on the bill of WBC???
Get rid of the Nat. Anthem, God Bless America in the 7th and never a border less globalist imperial military fly over again in MLB… It would be better for it…
Rant over… Back to meditaion, telepathy experiments, time travel and online porn for me…
@T Moore: Ha, nice rant… The same things are on my agenda for today!
@T Moore: 100% agree on God Bless America. Hate it. No place in baseball. Makes us look like idiots. Since I didnt use subjects in those sentences, here they are: I, I, It, That song.
@T Moore: I agree on GBA. It’s an awkward song to sing at a baseball game.
Love the National Anthem though. Games wouldn’t feel complete without it.
As for military fly-bys, I think they’re spectacular and should happen at every game. I was a bit disappointed that there was no fly-over for the WBC final. Sequestration, I fart in your general direction!
Hey Grey,
Obviously love your blog, its my guilty pleasure every day. There seems to be a lot of questions about Braun, which I understand that you are making an educated guess on. However, what are your thoughts on him at this point. Should we roll the dice on him again or go with another steady producer first round. I was thinking that even if he was to be suspended for 50 games, and I can stay relevant throughout that time period, he could be worth it regardless. Your thoughts? please advise.
Thanks! I mentioned it in the podcast (between cackles)… The MLB didn’t suspend him last year when they had hard evidence (a sample), they’re not suspending him with some scratch paper that they found in a dumpster…
Rosenthal tweeted that Hanley is to have surgery on his right thumb.
YES!
@Grey: Do you have revised projections for Dee Gordon? Assuming he gets some playing time?
Not yet…
@Grey: Oh and what’s your least favorite 2pac song? Mine is Whats ya Phone #.
Everything from any album released more than a year after his death…
@Grey: Oh come on. The Eminem produced album isn’t that bad. Thugs Get Lonely Too is straight fire. Thought I will say THIS. I didn’t like how Eminem manipulated pac’s voice to make it seem like he was talking to him (e.g. in the intro to Out On Bail he has him say “drop that shiz Em”. Not cool, not cool at all)
Eh, it’s a’ight… Nothing special…
Sorry, I mean, aw shucks…
Al albuquerque or Bruce rondon?
Al Al’etc
Should I drop Alex Cobb, Mike Fiers, Marco Estrada for Julio Teherans? If so, who? QS count in this league
I’d hold for now…
Had my RCL draft last night. My hitting is solid, the Razz 3000 had me at better than 100% on every cat. That being said, my pitching needs work.
J. Zimm
M. Scherzer
Jarrod Parker
Vogelsong
Garza
Ryu
R. Soriano
Axford
Cishek
Pestano
D. Robinson
Some names out there: volquez, ubaldo, richard, norris…
Yeah, it’s a bit wonky… Those names aren’t much better….
@Grey: Shy on K’s I guess. I could work with Morrow’s owner, or would that be more of the same?
Morrow would be better…
Tried not to ask for your opinion of my latest draft but couldn’t
10-tm H2H, OPS and Saves + Holds instead of Saves, I mean to say that its only one category:
C Napoli
1B AuShizz
2B Utley
3B Swiggy Cabrera
SS Rutledge
CI Ike Davis
MI Seager
OF Upton 1
OF Upton 2
OF Holliday
OF Choo
OF Gordon
Util Frazier
Util Morse
P Price
P Medlen
P Samardzija
P Beckett
P Niese
P H Bailey
P Lynn
P Cobb
P Garza
RP Boggs
RP J Peralta
RP D Hernandez
Evryone got Closers early and I waited till the last rounds for the top Holds guys, used the APPLES for the pitching staff, was happy to land 3 hitters in the Grey top 10 so when I saw Price hanging in there I didn’t think twice
@Mike: I meant top 20*
Your hitting looks weak on average, but OPS helps that… Obviously weak on saves, but the pitching looks excellent on starters…
@Grey: cheers! Big Fan! Regards from a Jewish-Mexican reader (thats not a joke, there is such a thing)
At least you have some decent unleavened bread to choose from…
@Grey: Felices Pascuas!
Hanley’s out for 8 weeks. I have Rutledge to plug in but I’m also thinking of dropping the now-set-up-man Broxton for Andrelton Simmons as well. Good move or hold?
Good move…
do we have a term for someone who hordes closers. In my discussion with MattTruss223 he referred to owning closers like a crazy cat lady. I liked that, A Crazy Closer Lady or CCL for the youngster that want to turn everything into an acronym….YKWIS
Ha! I like that… The Crazy Closer Lady…
@Grey: Rudy will hate it
Prolly
@Jack Full of Hate: definitely
@MattTruss223: had to give you props on that one, I use to call them Closaphiles, but this is better.
@Jack Full of Hate: me likey CCL….instead of open cat food cans and litter boxes all over maybe dip cans and David’s bags strewn about while brain freezers and cuddle boys climb rug covered furniture and sun themselves in the windows
@mc serch: Haha, this visual is hysterical.
@Jack Full of Hate: eh…acronyms are confusing and ‘Closer’ vs. ‘Cat’ is a bigger stretch than ideal for a portmanteau.
Plus, it’s a good strategy to hoard Closers a lot of the time – so it’s not always ‘Crazy’.
Saver Savior – Owner who feels the need to rescue all Closers from the waiver wire or another owner that won’t treat them with the proper respect.
Not really fun to use/say, though….
Compulsave Hoarder?
@Rudy Gamble: i was not suggesting CCL but i like the concept of the crazy closer lady. Just mocking the acronym crowd. I like Saver Savior and Compulsave Hoarder those are great.
Crazy Closer Lady is the player that goes overboard on saves, won’t trade them away and wins saves by 30. I have seen that more than I would have liked to. This person works for Compulsave Hoarder.
The smart player that gets closers to move and sweeten their team throughout the season would be Closemodities Trader….
.
Your alot higher on fat alberts plantar falisiusius (errr how ever you spell it) than I am. Had my draft last night 10 team points league . Auction draft btw. How do I look?
c-Napoli
1b- Freeman
2b- Hill
3b- Beltre
ss- Rollins
of-Bautista
Of-Heyward
of-Adam Jones
Util-Konerko
bn-Dunn
bn-perez
bn-swisher
SP-Sherzer
Sp-Smardzja
Sp-Harvey
Sp-Peavy
SP-Estrada
P-Chapman
P-Axford
P-Nathan
P-Grilli
P-Hanrahan
P-holland
I’m higher on it? Your team looks fine, it’s a very shallow league so everything will come down to how you play waivers…
What do you know about Fujikawa’s stuff? I stashed him for speculative saves, but in a league with an IP cap, if he’s going to have a 9+ K/9 with good ratios, I’ll trot him out from the jump.
He’s not going to be a 9+ K/9 is my guess…
Drop Ryu for Al Al?
I’d hold…
With the Hanley news I may be looking at Dee as a backup SS. No I don’t have Hanley, but I do have the frah-gee-lay Tulo. Would you lose Santos for a stash of Dee on the bench for some possible cheap steals and times a player gets knocked over by a 10 mph gust of wind?
I would…
@Grey: I disagree, did you see my post?
I did, yeah… I like Gordon’s upside… Worth a gamble at this point until everything’s clear…
@Wilsonian: I was reading my local LA rag and here is what was printed:
“Mattingly only mentioned Jerry Hairston, Juan Uribe, Nick Punto and Justin Sellers as possible third basemen. All four players are on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster”
Cruz will man short and gordon is the long shot. I would not drop anyone good for this one.
@Jack Full of Hate: wouldn’t you say that Santos is worthy of being dropped since Janssen looks to be back to the closer role (no issues as of late that I’ve heard of)?
@Wilsonian: I have to agree with Nick the Podcast Host, i would hold Santos thinking he will be the man at some point, and lets see how janseen does vs. hitters once the year starts. The Blue Jays could win the AL East and that is going to take a lot of wins. I think other SAGNOF will be there for steals. being in LA, and reading the beat writers, who I have always relied on, I think the Dodgers want gordon to develop more and have no problem with Cruz at SS. Coletti is big on his versatile utility players and this is the kind of situation that calls for that. If Cruz wasn’t a good SS, then i would says grab gordon, but I could be wrong. is there another bench bat or SP to drop instead.
If Jackie Bradley breaks camp with the Sox, would you take him over any of the following in an OBP/ net steals league?: Marte, L. Martin, Maybin, Cain
Looking for a bench flier that could give me a NSB jolt without cratering my OBP.
Nope
@Steve Stevenson: Is it just me or do Jackie Bradley and Steve Stevenson sound like a great newscasting pair?
@Fooch: If Jackie Bradley were a comely lass a little past her prime but compensating with heavy makeup and a perky disposition, then YES.
Need smart decisive people; me, dumb and cisive.
14 team, 3-year roto keeper, mlb minus NL West and Pirates, 4×4 (avg hr rbi steals; wins, era whip, saves). 14 hitters (2c’s, mi ci util 5 ofs) 11 pitchers (any) $280 dollar salary. Must keep 8 of following, basically at prices shown (too complicated to detail), for 1 year if starred, 2 otherwise:
ci * E.Hosmer KC $ 7
2 J.Altuve HOU $13
mi J.Kipnis CLE $15
O * A.Jones BAL $19
S * E.Aybar LAA $10
O * A.Gordon KC $7
O M.Trout LAA $12
O Y.Cespedes OAK $15
P J.Parker OAK $2
P H.Bailey CIN $4
P * J.Zimmermann WAS $ 8
P B.Parnell NYM $3
P G.Perkins MIN $3
P T.Wilhelmsen SEA $2
League tendency: Cheapest closer to draft will be roughly $15 (price of Myers last year). Finished 3rd in saves by drafting 0 closers last season but getting lucky, which is uncommon seeing as I have kids.
Am thinking Trout Cespedes Gordon Hosmer Kipnis Zimmermann Perkins Wilhelmsen. Or not. Can’t decide. Please help. Many thanks.
Trout, Cespedes, Gordon, Hosmer, Parker, Zimmermann, Altuve, Bailey…
@Grey: Balls bigger than mine; no screwing around with not drafting – or keeping – closers. Big big big. Will try to grow before decision needs making. Thanks.
@OCIronbutt: MLB minus NL west and Pirates? You shittin’ me?
@Steve Stevenson: Weird stuff. Not sure why – old league, developed odd ways. Used to be no Astros too. Bit of a pain to play in living near Chavez Rv, but something different.
Slow draft with 3 picks left…who do I take? 10-team 5×5 H2H (with 25 min. IP) daily league, but waiver/free agent pickups only twice a week:
C – Posey
1B – Rizzo
2B – Altuve
3B – Beltre
SS – Rutledge (2B/SS)
OF – Stanton
OF – Bruce
OF – Aoki
UT – Nelson Cruz
UT – Cuddyer (1B/OF)
SP – Cliff Lee
SP – Medlen
SP – Kennedy
RP – Street
RP – Betancourt
P – Jansen
P –
P –
BN – Martin Prado (2B/SS/3B/OF)
BN – Haren
BN – E-Jax
BN – Ogando
BN –
With the three picks left, I’m thinking about taking: (1) upside bat, (2) high-K RP (e.g., Marshall/Robertson) and (3) Luebke/Beachy (then DL him and add another high-K RP). Who should I take as the upside bat? Likely options are Machado, Taveras, Profar, or Myers, or older guys who might perform well given this draft slot (like Berkman and Ichiro (I need steals)).
Machado, Robertson, Beachy…
@Grey: gracias – I cross-posted this at rotoworld’s forums and you were faster to respond than their entire community.
1. Should I drop Espinosa to pick up Rutledge?
2. Would you drop Jarrod Parker or Mike Fiers to stream since my pitching is light? Or should I drop either of these guys to pick up Al for my 2nd RP instead of streaming?
10-Team Standard H2H Yahoo / 3 pts for steals
C – Matt Wieters
1B – Paul Goldschmidt
2B – Danny Espinosa
SS – Ben Zobrist
3B – Evan Longoria
LF – Matt Holliday
CF – Andrew McCutchen
RF – Justin Upton
OF – Shin Soo Choo
UTIL – Ike Davis, Desmond Jennings, Nelson Cruz
SP – Zach Greinke, Jake Peavy, AJ Burnett, Jonathan Niese, Homer Bailey, Phil Hughes, Jarrod Parker, Mike Fiers
RP – Jason Motte
RP/ Stream
1. Nope 2. Not right now
Damn, that trade I asked about above is in one of those Y! Pro Leagues. This just hit the message board from another team:
“You have got to be kidding me this trade, COMPLETELY lopsided. IN WHAT WAY is this helping Just a Pence’s team? 2 TRASH closers and a decent OF for a TOP 3 pick in Braun and a SP with good upside? Protest the trade, for the leagues sake. These two teams are very possibly in collusion with one another.”
So, that trade’s prolly toast. Yahoo’s trade review board is bonkers, so they’ll veto that in a second. Bummer, hate trade vetoes.
@MattTruss223: if the shoe was on the other foot that hater would be defending that deal to the death. If the other team has no closers then he has no argument. Cisek could save 35 and Parnell I think is good for 20, he will start the year as the closer and if frank Frank does well will be traded at the deadline.
@Jack Full of Hate: Good point, the other guy’s got League and Hanrahan. I admit, I have no clue what the guy’s thinking, but he proposed it to me!!
In a h2h dynasty league would you trade morse and straily for melky and teheran?
@Ryan: I would.
Nope
@Ryan: i wouldnt
12 team Roto league 5×5 (+OBP, +TB, -AVG, -HR). 8 Keepers (indicated w/ K). Glaring issues? I know I went a little RookieNookie late but I’ll probably drop Hicks when a SP emerges early in the season. I also know I’m weak on SB, though it would be nice if Hamilton got called up and resolved that issue….
C – Wilin Rosario
1B – Prince Fielder (K)
2B – Robinson Cano (K)
3B – David Freese
SS – Troy Tulowitzki (K)
OF – Josh Hamilton (K)
OF – Shin-Soo Choo (K)
OF – Shane Victorino
UT – Paul Goldschmidt (K)
BN – Billy Hamilton (K)
BN – Manny Machado
BN – Aaron Hicks
SP – Zack Greinke (K)
SP – Yovani Gallardo
SP – Jeff Samardzija
SP – Jake Peavy
SP – Marco Estrada (is he related to Ponch btw?)
RP – Jonathan Papelbon
RP – Huston Street
RP – Steve Cashek
RP – Jose Veras
No glaring issues at all… Team looks stacked…
Pick a 1B/3B pair:
AGonz/Freese, or C.Davis/Zimm
A-Gon
Good morning Greycarlo,
In a 12 team 5X5 my pitchers are as follows:
Scherzer
Moore
Medlen
Smarj
Estrada
Ryu
Johan
Mo Rivera
Janssen
Santos
Parnell
Al ABQ and Milone are both on the waiver wire. Do you recommend dropping/adding?
Thank you for all you do
Santos
I’d go Al Al’etc for right now…
what do you think of a strategy of loading up on corner infielders and outfielders and waiting on middle infielders. I am thinking i can get good value later in draft on guys like simmons, aybar segura, kendricks and such. I am thinking of taking a guy like bruce over kinsler or pedroia because i see a major drop off in our keeper league after like 4 or 5 outfielders are gone. I think I could get an utley or weeks in round 8 or 9 but all the top outfield bombers will be gone by then.
We have 5 outfield spots in our league and 2 utility spots.
@marti: I certainly used this strategy in my draft last night. There are a ton of mids that all look the same in round 15 and beyond, and they’re only marginally worse than the guys going in round 5. My team is right below your post. Offense looks stacked! (but I might be light in pitching)
It’s a strategy that I’ve been preaching for about 5 years…
Olbigatory recently drafted team to comment on:
C – Avila
1B – Adrian Gonz
2B – Aaron Hill
Mid – Danny Espinoser
SS – Jean Segura
3B – Adrian Belt Tray
CI – Chris Davis
OF – Gianny Stanton (Keeper), Andy McCutchen, Shin Choo-Choo, Carlos Belt Ran
Util – Papi/Bonifacio/RedDick
P – Greinke, Scherzer, Peavy, Parker, Cobb, Burnett, Fiers, Casey Jannnnnssseennnn, League, Wilhelmsen
@MattDamonFace:
Ah sorry… 10 team, 5×5 standard roto scoring
Looks weak on average and runs… Solid on pitching, little too solid…
@Grey: Thanks..
I was surprised where I drafted some of the pitchers myself (Cobb in the 18th?! Peavy in the 8th, *after* Haren, Josh Johnson, Ian Kennedy, James Shields…..)
10 team H2H mixed non-auction league. My keepers are Votto, J-Upton, Bruce and either Sandoval or MadBum/Gio/Scherzer. Would you keep one of these pitchers over Sandoval? We don’t have MI/CI spots. C/1B/2B/3B/SS/3 OF/2 U + pitchers 6×5 (w/ OPS) league
Bum
What are your thoughts on the Ryan Braun\Biogenesis situation? Too risky for 1st round or not?
I replied above about it…
Hanley needs thumb surgery, out two months
@dk: OUCH! That’s gonna hurt some people BAAAAD!
Calling it now. Freddie Freeman has a breakout year. Could have a .285/33/110 season. I think he’s a bargain at his current ADP (mid-80’s). Vision problems seem to be behind him and he’s absolutely MASHING right now.
So far this spring he’s hitting .373/.397/.780 and leads all major leaguers with 7 HR (just 59 AB).
Poised for a monster year hitting cleanup in that lineup. With Upton, Upton, Heyward, etc. the Braves should score plenty of runs.
I basically punted pitching in a 5×5 roto league (with OBP) and am now kind of freaking out. I did the very un-Grey thing and drafted 4 RPs (Mo, Axford, Wilhelmsen, Cishek).
My SPs (we start 3 SPs, 3 Ps, and 1 RP):
King Felix
Niese
Estrada
Teheran
Corbin
That’s it.
My bats look good though:
OF is Kemp, Jupton, Maybin.
1 -2 – 3 – SS is Butler, Mark Ellis, Beltre, Everth Cabrera.
C is Castillo.
Utility is Ryan Zimmerman.
I was offered Sabathia + Pedro Alvarez for Beltre. You like?
He also has Cain and Gio. I could counter by going after one of them…
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
I don’t like CC… You don’t need pitching, you need Beltre…
So Ryan Braun is a MILF who is taking hormones? If he wanted bigger guns (boobs, not arms) couldn’t he have just gone the plastic surgery route rather than estrogen?
I don’t think I want any girls on my team.
What are the odds he gets suspected? 10:1 against?
@uncdrew:
Uh, I mean ‘suspended’. What are the odds he gets suspended?
…and perhaps since he’s now a MILF perhaps he can sleep his way out of it.
Oh, suspended… 100:1
Suspected? 1:100
@Grey:
:)
As a lover of the Hebrew Hammer(rette), I don’t suspect him of anything but being awesome.
Ugh hate when guys I don’t have any chance of drafting get hurt (Hanley, Headley and Tulo sure he will be hurt by the time this comment gets read any way) Just moves the guys I want higher up other people draft boards. Also so help me god if Headley’s injury steals 2b eligibility from my precious Jerk-OH! I’LL I’LL probably stash him on the bench and pick up a MI off wires but that’s not the point.
I agree, that is annoying…
Does Al Alburquerque have a stepbrother named Santo Santa Fe?
Ha… It’s Santa K!
@Grey: Because of his strikeout potential we should rename him Al Alburkaykay
Ha… What’s wrong with Santa K?
@Grey: I didn’t think of it.
@Grey: Do you know the way to Santa K?
That’s what I’m trying to figure out… Santa K was in the post…
@Grey: Ah. So it was. It was late.
With a dream in your heart, you’re never alone.
Together we stand, untied laces we fall.
@Grey: Hey, who started this post?
You, no?
ESPN 14 team H2H. Keep 3: Medlen, Wainwright, Shields, Latos, Cueto, Peavy.
Medlen, Latos, Wainwright
Please rate for strengths/weaknesses (12-team standard yahoo)
Drafted 3rd
1. (3) Ryan Braun (Mil – OF)
2. (22) David Wright (NYM – 3B)
3. (27) Adam Jones (Bal – OF)
4. (46) Jason Heyward (Atl – OF)
5. (51) Zack Greinke (LAD – SP)
6. (70) Aaron Hill (Ari – 2B)
7. (75) Jordan Zimmermann (Was – SP)
8. (94) Freddie Freeman (Atl – 1B)
9. (99) Brandon Morrow (Tor – SP)
10. (118) Wilin Rosario (Col – C)
11. (123) Eric Hosmer (KC – 1B)
12. (142) Jonathon Niese (NYM – SP)
13. (147) Josh Rutledge (Col – 2B,SS)
14. (166) Glen Perkins (Min – RP)
15. (171) Jarrod Parker (Oak – SP)
16. (190) Adam Eaton (Ari – OF)
17. (195) Carlos Marmol (ChC – RP)
18. (214) Tommy Milone (Oak – SP)
19. (219) Wade Miley (Ari – SP)
20. (238) Lorenzo Cain (KC – OF)
21. (243) Dillon Gee (NYM – SP)
22. (262) Santiago Casilla (SF – RP)
23. (267) Chris Tillman (Bal – SP)
Team looks very solid… 1B could be a worry, but someone from Freeman or Hosmer should be fine… Don’t love your relievers but it’s a small concern…
You recommend Al Albuquerque. Who should go?
Randal Delgado
Jacob Turner
Scott Diamond
Kyuji Fujikawa
Wade LeBlanc
Diamond
@Grey: Shine on, you crazy Diamond… on another team!
Keeper Question:
I can keep one of Braun (1st rounder) or Votto (2nd rounder). Is Votto a safer choice, based on the rumor-mill around Braun right now?
My other keepers are Medlen(25th), Castro(22nd), and one of Craig(24), Hosmer(23), Cespedes(11).
I’m thinking either Braun and Craig, or Votto and Cespedes. Thoughts?
I’d go Votto, Cespedes…
Hey Grey,
Here’s my squad:
c-Perez
1b-Ike Davis
2b-Rutledge
3b-Longoria
ss-Reyes
of-Braun, CarGo, Choo
util-Jennings
util-Alex Gordon
sp-Kershaw, Moore, Harvey, Minor, Bailey, Cahill, Garza, Ryu, Teheran
rp-Soriano, Janssen, Holland
Traditional 10-team, H2H. Weeks is available at 2B. Drop Rutledge for him? Below are the available pitchers. Drop either Ryu or Teheran for one of them? or hang with what I got? Maybe Beachy and stash him? What’s your overall assessment? As awlays, thanks a ton!
Marcum
Hammel
Wei-Yin Chen
Straily
Wandy
Romero
James McDonald
Iwakuma
A.J. Griffin
Fiers
Tillman
Bauer
Gee
Maholm
Cashner
Doubront
Ervin Santana
Scott Baker
Beachy(!)
Colby Lewis
Vargas
Capuano
Why would you drop Rutledge for Weeks when I’ve ranked Rutledge higher?
@Grey: I don’t know. Just trying to cover all the angles. The pitching look okay to you?
@stynyr: pitching has too much upside and injury risk… you want to mix in a few solid vets with all those young arms…
I’m 360 picks into a 20 team draft. Mayberry is still available and he’s the highest ranked at Razzball. Do you still expect him to see regular abs? My alternative is guys like cowgill and Seth smith. Thank you.
Mayberry — eh…
I don’t know. Just trying to cover all the angles. The pitching look okay to you?
The pitching is rock solid right now… Once you can DL Garza, you can pick up someone…
@Grey: Thank you and gesundheit you, Grey. Don’t take that literally.
And to you and yours!
You better hope Greinke doesn’t catch bone chipitis or foreign particlititis in his elbow. My buddy has a small,but growing altar in his room praying to the Elbow Almighty Deity. Good luck boy’s. I have 10 or 15 baseball Gods I hope to. I’m not that religious. I go into my closet and hope when I need to.
I’m hoping Shelby gets the nod too. If he does I need to drop someone and I’m thinking I may just pick him up today. He’s that big shiney apple sitting on the free agent tree.
Got to drop one of these guys. Orgando, Estrada, or Tillman.
@Big AL: Hey, while you’re in your closet, could you tell Tom Cruise to come out?
@JoeC:
Tommy C says he can see God from there and he wants him to think about that religion he’s in. May be a while.
Ogando
If you want to join a new head to head dynasty league, then e-mail me at gortexturban at yahoo dot com.
The thing that keeps me from watching this “Girls” series is that A) It’s about a bunch of chicks, so why would I? and B) It’s about a bunch of ugly chicks.
Now I realize this is completely sexist (sue me), but I am man enough to admit that my penis controls the remote control. If I wanted to see ugly girls, I’d go outside (Seattle has to be the worse place in the world for beautiful women… it’s like there’s a factory somewhere in the Yukon that creates ugly, man-ish women and they all get shipped to Seattle. This is the opposite of the factory that exists in Tallahassee, Florida which seems to produce perfect, Barbie-like sorority girls by the dozen).
3 girl readers, have at me!
Yeah, I felt the same way as you… The first season was actually funny… Second season blew…
@Grey: assuming the plantar fasciitii news doesnt move fielder ahead of albert in the rankings?
I’d keep Albert where he is…
Baker and Jocketty are saying nothing is official with Chapman yet. Preliminary reports haven’t been confirmed.
Guess we’ll see…
@Grey: and of course I cut Broxton this morning when I heard the news…
I did too… Dusty and Aroldis both want him to be the closer… Sounds like a formality…
Hey Grey,
I proposed a trade to an owner about two weeks ago that I had forgotten about. He accepted it today to my surprise.
I traded Michael Cuddyer and Andre Ethier for Starlin Castro.
Its a 5 starting OF League and My outfield is Stanton, Jones, Choo, Gardner, Swisher and Reddick on the bench.
I only have one Shortstop – Asdrubal Cabrera. my starter at second is Weeks and I have Utley as the starting MI. Thats my infield.
Do you think this is a good trade and are you worried at all my Castro’s Hamstring issues going forward?
I’d want Castro there, it’s not close…
So in a 12 team H2H league, at what point would you pull the trigger on hanley and headley?
I’m thinking 6th for H-ram and 9th for headley.
6×6 league, adding OPS….I have 4th pick.
Votto, Pujols, Fielder, Cano?? (assuming Cabrera, Trout, Braun are gone and I’m not as huge on McCutch as you are, Grey, sorry)
Are you sure plantar fasciitis isn’t going to be an issue going forward?!? It seems like he was adjusting to his knee surgery which caused the plantar fasciitis…
Any of them work, they’re in the same tier… Go with your choice…
Grey, did you really quit smoking 9 months ago or is that just to get you cred with the cool kids? ;)
I quit a year ago. I had been smoking for about 15 years, but not that heavily. Still, I miss it like a chopped-off limb. I think I’ll probably miss it for the rest of my life. Smoking was FUN!
C’est la vie… what price immortality, I ask you?!
Yeah, I did… Last All-Star Break… I smoked for about 15 years too… Junior year of high school…
Which should I pick up for Holds, K/BB, and speculative saves?:
Crow, Burton, Bastardo, Strop.
Burton
Hi Grey, appreciate all the work you and everyone else puts into the site…podcast is great also!
12 team mixed 8×8….snake draft 11th pick..analysis please
C Lucroy 19
1b Gonzalez 4
2b Kendrick 14
3b Seager 11
ss Aybar 13
of Stanton 1
of Harper 2
of Bruce 3
Utl I davis 8
utl aoki 12
Bn Bonifacio 22
Sp latos 5
Sp Scherzer 6
Sp Zimmermann 7
Rp K Jansen 17
Rp Freiri 18
I kennedy 9
Haren 10
Estrada 15
Garza 16
S miller 20
Cashner 21
Rosenthal 22
Thanks, moosebiscuit! You look weak on average, but in an 8×8, it’s not a big deal… Don’t completely love your infield… Your pitching is pretty stacked…
Closemodities Trader….The smart player that gets closers to move and sweeten their team throughout the season. Always working the FA market by adding newly crowned closers or handcuffs of volatile situations.Even obtaining them in trades to turn around and move to someone else to sweeten another deal in the works.
What happened? Rudy nix your last one… I’m not crazy about this one…
@Grey: no he came with some good ones, I put this out here for those that read from the bottom up. Rudy had some good ones that stomped the crazy closer lady. I wrote back to him, just no response yet. His are good and I’m just an idiot with a keyboard.
Ha… Gotcha…
So I kept HanRam in my 12 team keeper league, and we are about at the end of our draft so my options are either punt 3B for a while or pick up one of Keppinger, Chisenhall, or whoever the ATL 3B is, lol…..thoughts?
Chisenhall
In a keeper league, can keep Hanley for this season and next or Yoenis Cespedes for this season and next. Had Hanley penciled in as my last keeper over Cespedes, but the injury has me questioning things. Thoughts?
Cespedes… Definitely…
@Grey:
Thanks Grey. And I borrowed the “shallow position” joke from the first podcast this season. Funny stuff and, as always, great advice.
Thanks!
WWGD:
I pick 6, 11 and 24 and the guy I want is probably about the 18th guy still on the board. He’s my favorite player and I think about him at night. Do I reach (around) for him at 11 or try to win the league with every advantage I can by ignoring my heart (which I normally try to do)… I too believe there is not much latitude to the top 20, taking a guy who is 18ish at 11 just feels wrong. So… what would Grey do?
Don’t ignore your heart, take who you want…
Jonathan Broxton is dead to me now (thanks Dusty!).
Should I just pick up Parnell from the wire in his place or take a flyer on a breakout Dominic Brown? He is also a free agent in my league.
The hype machine for him is in full flow and he would possibly make appealing trade bait. I know you don’t believe in Spring training stats but do you believe Brown has turned a corner and has become a viable 3rd outfielder in fantasy?
Parnells stats from last year were solid and it seems like the Mets has not much confidence in Frank Frank, who is still dealing with ailments.
Who would you add to replace the OX?
Dropping Broxton would leave me with Street and Betancourt.
Go with Parnell…
Grey, I’m in the 12th round of a slow draft and wanted to get your advice on how I’m doing so far and what you think I need coming up. I’m probably about to take either a C or RP next. But might take the plunge on Espinosa or Rutledge at SS. And do you recommend stacking my bench spots with SP’s?
C:
1B: Paul Goldschmidt
2B: Robinson Cano
3B: Evan Longoria
SS:
OF: Adam Jones
OF: Shin Soo-Choo
OF: Austin Jackson
UT: Josh Willingham
UT:
SP: Madison Bumgarner
SP: Kris Medlen
RP:
RP:
P: Roy Halladay
P: Jeff Samardzjia
P:
BN:
BN:
BN:
BN:
BN:
BN:
Take Rutledge… I’d stack a bench with SPs, yes…
@Grey:
Thanks. Do you think I’m weak in any area that I need to make up for (obviously other than saves)?
No, no other areas look pressing…
Hi, we are about 1/2 way through a competitive keeper leage draft on a 12 team roto (yahoo) – R/HR/RBI/SB/K/ABG/OPS – W/L/SV/K/HLD/ERA/WHIP. Here is my team so far, which categories would you target in next few rounds to fill out roster? Wish Reds would announce Chapman’s role…
Obviously HLDs at some point, but those guys are available towards end of draft…
Prince Fielder 1st
Shin Soo Choo 2nd
Matt Holliday 3rd
Melky Cabrera 4th
Max Scherzer 5th
Wilin Rosario 6th
Gio Gonzalez 7th – kept player
Joel Hanrahan 8th
Ichiro Suzuki 9th
Erik Aybar 10 th
Glen Perkins 11th
Aaron Hill 14th – kept player
Aroldis Chapman 17th – kept player
Brett Lawrie 22th – kept player
Todd Frazier 24th – kept player
No idea what spots you’re missing listing the team like this… Looks like you need SPs…
@Grey:
filling out bench at this point…def need more SP, still quaility quality pitchers out there. Rosters are C, 1st, 2nd, SS, 3Rd, IF, RF, CF, LF, OF, UTIL, UTIL, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN
Yeah, SPs…
Thoughts on my RCL team? What cats. do you think will be my biggest weaknesses?
C – Lucroy (20)
1B – Encarnacion (4)
2B – Pedroia (3)
3B – Beltre (2)
SS – Jeter (16)
MI – Aaron Hill (6)
CI – Konerko (10)
OF – Kemp (1)
OF – Crawford (13)
OF – Crisp (15)
OF – Hart (17)
OF – David Murphy (23)
UTIL – Morales (14)
BN – Juan Pierre (24)
P- Wainwright (5)
P- Sabathia (7)
P- Lester (8)
P – Josh Johnson (10)
P – Romo (11)
P – Holland (12)
P – Frieri (18)
P – Cobb (19)
P – Teheran (21)
BN – Sergio Santos (22)
BN – Kazmir (25)
Team looks pretty balanced on offense… You might be a little heavy on speed… You don’t need Pierre at all… I don’t like Johnson, Kazmir, CC and Lester’s kinda iffy… Overall the team isn’t bad, don’t love the pitching…
@Grey:
Thanks. Yeah, Scherzer went the pick before me in the 7th, and Shields (who I like) went right before me in the 8th.. I think JJ will be decent as a SP4 but we’ll see. And there are several decent guys I could drop Kazmir for if he falls apart.
In an IP cap league, do you still think you need to grab 6 SPs? I’m thinking with 4 solid arms and Garza on the DL, I might be better off dropping Hammel for an upside bat or high K/9 MR with save potential. There are plenty pf stream-o-nator friendly arms on the wire.
@Steve Stevenson:
How many innings?
Sure, go for a high K/9 MR…
Reds now saying no decision has been made on Chapman.
They’re a bunch of Mr. Bungles.
Need help with a trade offer:
I was offered Stanton and Harper for Pujols and BJ Upton…
Should I take it?
12team H2H
Montero, Jesus(C) SEA
Pujols, Albert(1B) LAA
Hill, Aaron(2B) ARI
Longoria, Evan(3B) TB
Castro, Starlin(SS) CHC
Choo, Shin-Soo(OF) CIN
Jones, Adam(OF) BAL
Upton, B.J.(OF) ATL
Davis, Ike(1B) NYM
Frazier, Todd(1B,3B) CIN
Hosmer, Eric(1B) KC
Aoki, Norichika(OF) MIL
Davis, Chris(1B,OF) BAL
Bumgarner, Madison(P) SF
Chapman, Aroldis(P) CIN
Harvey, Matt(P) NYM
Milone, Tommy(P) OAK
Ryu, Hyun-Jin(P) LAD
Street, Huston(P) SD
Zimmermann, Jordan(P) WAS
Gee, Dillon(P) NYM
Teheran, Julio(P) ATL
I’d take Stanton…
@Grey: Would you still take it if it was Pujlos and Choo for Stanton and Harper?
I would…
Another big dropoff from the quality of season 1 to 2 is Duck Dynasty. I know all “reality” shows are staged, but it really showed in season 2.
Never saw it…
Yasiel Puig… thoughts on him? this years mini mike trout?
Nope, he’s 12 years old…
@Grey: … hes older than trout………..
I was being facetious… He’s pretty raw, don’t think he see significant time until next year…
@Grey: Good stuff man thanks! Im gonna be on the lookout for him though, i think he shows up in a big way after crawford inevitably goes down in the first month
7×6 (OBP TB), 14-Team Keeper
Trumbo/Moustakas/Parker
for
Kinsler/Aoki/Peirzynski (might argue for Niese on the last one)
My team:
Hitters: C Napoli, 1B Hosmer, 2B Bonifacio, SS Aybar, 3B Longoria, IF Moustakas, LF Braun, CF Fowler, RF Trumbo, OF Ross, Util Carpenter, Util Colvin, BN Hicks
Pitchers: SP Lincecum, SP Haren, SP Parker, SP Harvey, SP Beachy, Cahill, Wandy, Parnell, Jansen, Fujikawa
Basically, should I trade my youth and fun kids to watch to plug my gaping hole at 2B?
@Bazzrall: Oh and a little review of my team would be nice. THANK YOU! :)
Your team looks low on average, your late round gambles don’t seem that great and your pitching is a mess… I’d take Kinsler with Niese…
@Grey: Some are keepers from last year. We keep 14. I won my league last year. And I agree, the draft didn’t go great.
Can someone help me with the forums? I am trying to register, but apparently I’m too stupid to get the autobot question right. I have tried things like sports, fantasy sports, baseball advice but keep getting it wrong. Does someone know the correct answer? Thanks.
Try just: baseball
@Grey: Thanks, that was too easy. I knew I was just too stupid!
Hilarious Hanley rant, Grey. Quick question: should I pick up Al Al’etc or Steve Cishek to replace Bronxton in a 10 team head to head yahoo league?
Thanks! Cishek…
I’m glad I traded Hanley in my keeper league last year at the trading deadline. I’m still pondering why I traded for him in the first place…my therapist doesn’t seem to have the answer either. But I digress…
I have 6 keepers and am trying to decide who I should draft with my first pick (7th round).
My keepers are as follows:
J-Upton
Giancarlo Stanton
McCutchen
Longoria
Kinsler
Hosmer
Zobrist and/or Andrus will most likely fall to me and I would put either of them in my SS position. I’m worried about Zobrist’s AVG pairing with Kinsler’s AVG and I’m not huge on Andrus. My other options would be Alex Gordon or Austin Jackson. We only have 3 OF slots and one util spot.So I would have to one of those guys in my Util spot.
Is my fear of position scarcity also something I should talk to my therapist about? My gut tells me to go with Gordon or Jackson…does my gut tell you that too? That would be weird…my gut telling you stuff.
Ha… I’d go with an SP…
@Grey:
I can dig it…
That leaves me with Scherzer and Jordan Zimmerman to choose from. Give me the K’s baby!
Gracias Senor Greycarlo
De nada
Do I keep Hanley or Jordan Zimmermann in my NL Only League?
Zimmermann
@Grey: 5 x 5 mixed roto. which duo do you prefer? pujols/holliday or stanton/agon? thanks.
Stanton
*walks in, throws potato sack in greys face, storms out*
That’s cold!
@Grey: haha!! :) put it on and warm up!
I just seen on mlb network chapman is going to close in 2013? Cant confirm it anywhere else though. did my eyes mislead me?
I agree about Girls. Seems this season was meant to nullify everything that occurred previously. Maybe they’re trying to go for that whole Wire-esque meta cyclical shizz? Regardless, it’s now a soap for the twenties crowd. Adam’s still rad tho.
I think you hit on the the reason why it sucked with your end note… Not enough Adam…
What do you think of my team?
Should I be looking to upgrade my pitching before my bats?
Montero, Jesus(C) SEA
Davis, Ike(1B) NYM
Hill, Aaron(2B) ARI
Longoria, Evan(3B) TB
Castro, Starlin(SS) CHC
Harper, Bryce(OF) WAS
Jones, Adam(OF) BAL
Stanton, Giancarlo(OF) MIA
Upton, B.J.(OF) ATL
Frazier, Todd(1B,3B) CIN
Hosmer, Eric(1B) KC
Aoki, Norichika(OF) MIL
Davis, Chris(1B,OF) BAL
Bumgarner, Madison(P) SF
Chapman, Aroldis(P) CIN
Harvey, Matt(P) NYM
Milone, Tommy(P) OAK
Ryu, Hyun-Jin(P) LAD
Street, Huston(P) SD
Zimmermann, Jordan(P) WAS
Gee, Dillon(P) NYM
Teheran, Julio(P) ATL
No idea how many teams, but your pitching looks fine…
@Grey: 12 teams H2H
Team looks solid now, I wouldn’t touch the pitching just yet… There will be guys on waivers you can use…
@Grey: Thanks!
Big fan of the podcasts…looking forward to the next one
Thanks!
Grey,
12tm al only dynasty, I have no closers. Only “closers” available at draft on Saturday are Madison and Vera’s. I contemplated punting the category but then thought I would just shoot for setup guys with a chance at some saves. My current targets are
Ryan cook
Al al
Jake McGee
Any thoughts on a few other guys that could grab that closer role?
Madson and Veras are closers… I’d grab them… And Al Al…
@Grey: they’ll go for BIG bucks ($20+) because they’re the only ones out there. Won’t fit my budget.
Maybe add Jared Burton’s to the list? Pedro strop?
@The Talented Mr. Dope Man: Andrew bailey?
Burton’s decent too… But he’s a setup man right now…
Grey,
If you had to choose a 1B for this year AND next year, who would it be? H2H, OBP instead of AVG.
Votto, Pujols, Fielder
Votto
I like how Rudy took the time to put an apostrophe after “fuckin'”
We’re all proper grammar like on IM…
Is Frieri worth a #4 waiver spot in a 14 team league? My Rp are Wilhemsen and Motte.
Yup