Hey all. Thought I'd share this roster rules issue with you and get your thoughts on it. I've played fantasy for a long time, and I've had to tackle this problem with a while.

I joined an NL-only H2H league this season...10 teams, so it's a pretty deep league. We can start 7 pitchers a week, but 5 of them have to be starting pitchers., and 2 have to be relievers. No flex spots. We can also keep 6 players of any type on a reserve list. Now, do you see the problem coming? With 50 starters required to be on active, and each owner (in theory) able to have up to 6 more starting pitchers on reserve, it leads to the fact that Kyle Weiland of the Astros is currently the best starting pitcher available. I like a deep league and all, but this is ridiculous.

I'm trying to explain the problem with some of the old owners, and one guy (who also happens to have horded a ton of pitching) doesn't see the problem with the lack of talent available. Oh and also, this league doesn't force you to activate a guy off the DL when he comes back. Yep, it's another free stash.

So anyway, any of you have SP/RP requirements? Or just use an innings minimum? I'm trying to find a way to get through to these guys. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Ok, I think it's needed that we have one of these to celebrate MLB trade deadline day. Ubaldo is going to Cleveland! Slow-Cab is going to the Giants! Rich Harden trade to Red Sox fall through! My Reds prediction: No trades. And here's a fun nugget after the jump to get the proceedings started:

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Hey all, indulge me for a minute.

Is there anyone interested in joining an NL-only auction keeper league that is entering its fifth season? 10 teams, standard 5x5 scoring. 23 man active roster with 12 man reserve/minors list. Right now, there are 1, maybe 2 teams available.

It's based in Dayton, Ohio, but we're going to use the online auction feature this season, so you don't have to be there.

The teams that are available aren't good, so we're waiving the $100 entry fee for the first season. Please note there's some serious players in this league, so experienced players desired.

Any questions? Please email me at paulyp71@hotmail.com.

Thank you for your time,

Paul

OK, let's take a little break from all the Cliff Lee talk. Of course, a trade for Lee would solidify the Reds as serious pennant contenders. But there's also a smaller, much more low cost move I also think the Reds need to make. And that's to sign Garrett Atkins.

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Hello,

My wife and I are thinking about a trip to DC this summer for the usual sightseeing, and perhaps catch a Nationals game if I can convince her.  I have a few questions that I hoped someone here could answer for me, rather than trusting travel sites.

1. What hotel do you think is the best as far as cost and proximity to the main attractions/metro?  We don't need a 5-star place, but we don't want a dump either.

2. How far is the ballpark from the National Mall area. What would be the best mode of transportation to get there?

3. Are their scalpers outside the ballpark? What seating area in the ballpark are the best for the money?

4. Best eateries, especially ones unique to DC. Again, looking for reasonably priced.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

From Rob Butcher:

CINCINNATI - Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced IF Drew Sutton as the player to be named later in the March 31 trade that sent IF Jeff Keppinger to the Houston Astros.

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San Diego Padres

G.M.: Kevin Towers

Manager: Bud Black

Payroll: $40-45 million

2008: 63-99, last place in NL west

2009 Baseball Prospectus projection: 74-88

I think I had the last or next-to last pick for these previews, so naturally I get perhaps one of the more vanilla teams in the National League in the Padres. But vanilla can taste good too! Anyway, two things come to mind when I think of the Padres: Hall-of Famer Tony Gwynn, and these:

via images.quickblogcast.com

via 1.bp.blogspot.com

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NL-only 10-team league. Standard 5x5. $260 for 23 players. Keep 13. I've figured out 12 of my keepers. I just need to determine the final pitcher. I have plenty of cheap, but cruddy, choices at my disposal. All these guys have question marks, I think:

Chris Carpenter $11

Wandy Rodriguez $7

Andrew Miller $6

Pedro Martinez $5

Barry Zito $4

Carlos Villanueva $1

Jeff Samardzija $1

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

From Christina Kahrl at Baseball Prospectus....the Reds win a dubious award!

Worst Two-Year Contract: Willy Taveras, Reds $6.25 million

The problem with signing Willy Taveras has little to do with the total expense; it's not zero dollars down, but in baseball terms it's not really all that expensive. It has even less to do with the things that he does do well, like run and steal bases (generating a NL-best 11.9 Equivalent Baserunning Runs, covering the gaps, throwing pretty effectively for a center fielder). The problem is what Taveras is being employed to do—lead off—and the chance that he can deliver on it with even a modicum of effectiveness. His park-neutral PECOTA rojection for 2009 is for a .319 OBP, which doesn't sound too good for a team that got a .326 OBP from its weak crew of leadoff options last year. The real pity is that the Reds could have instead run with a platoon that puts sophomore Chris Dickerson in center and leading off—Dickerson's projected to a park-neutral .331 OBP which he'd surpass if his minor league splits held in the majors and he was limited to starting versus righties. And no, employing Dickerson wouldn't cost "only" $6.25 million the next two years—money that might have instead been spent on getting a left fielder who might actually help the Reds score some runs.

I'm quite the happy camper today, as I arrived home after running some errands to find the Baseball America Prospect Handbook in my mailbox! For some dumb reason, they have 4 AL guys on the cover...Matt Wieters, David Price, Neftali Feliz and Travis Snider.

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Anyone else catch the BCS title game on FOX! this evening?

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From Hal McCoy:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/reds/2008/12/07/ddn120808spredsweb.html

With baseball's annual winter meetings unfurling this week at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, rumors run rampant.

A noteworthy one involving the Cincinnati Reds is making the rounds — pitcher Homer Bailey for Chicago White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye.

A major-league source close to the situation told The Dayton Daily News on Sunday, Dec. 7, "The deal is done and will be announced this week."

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The old boy network is alive and well. This really dampens my hopes for the future. Hiring this clown? Jeez.  From Rob Butcher:

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[Note by Rick House, 05/26/08 5:10 PM EDT ] Here's what we've been waiting for. I hope I never see Bruce in Louisville again. What a memorable Memorial Day!

From Rob Butcher:

Tomorrow the Reds are expected to promote from Class AAA Louisville top prospect OF Jay Bruce. A corresponding roster move will be announced prior to tomorrow’s 7:10 p.m. game against the Pirates.

Bruce and Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty will be available to the media tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. in the Reds’ dugout at Great American Ball Park.

Bruce will wear uniform number 32 and when he plays will be making his Major League debut.

Bruce, 21, has been rated the best prospect in the minor leagues. He has spent the season at Louisville, where in 49 games he hit .364 with 9 doubles, 5 triples, 10 HR, 37 RBI and 8 stolen bases. He leads the International League in hitting and hits (67) and ranks among the IL leaders in slugging percentage (.630, 3rd), runs scored (34, 4th), extra-base hits (24, T4th) and RBI (T5th).

Ol Dusty's veteran fetish has been scratched. At least they aren't major league deals.  So do either of these clowns make the team? And now I'll just ramble a bit more about how Dusty loves him some veterans!

From the Reds:

Tonight the Reds signed to minor league contracts and invited to Major League spring training camp OF Corey Patterson and IF Jerry Hairston Jr.

Ok, we all know our buddy Dusty loves speedy, low-on-base percentage guys like Corey Patterson to lead off. I got to thinking about another speedy, low-OBP guy who has some of that veteran goodness who could be had relatively cheap in a trade that Dusty would LOVE!

Juan Pierre.

Although I would vomit if it happened, I honestly think the Reds could be very interested in trading for Pierre. I'm sure the Dodgers wouldn't ask for a lot for him. As for his lousy contract, the Dodgers could eat some it.

Just think, the Reds could put Pierre in CF, let Bruce rot another year in the minors (or at least until the all-star break when they trade Dunn), then next season have Griffey, Pierre and Bruce in the outfield!

Pierre, Patterson or the ancient Kenny Lofton. Which one will satisfy Dusty's leadoff fetish?

Lofton is 40 and yet still hasn't really started declining too much yet. I'd be fine with him in center and leading off. He gets on base and I'm guessing still plays good defense. If he comes to Cincinnati the Reds really need to get rid of Freel or Hopper though.

Obviously I want to see Jay Bruce, but I really don't think Bruce staying in the minors until July this season would cost the Reds a shot at the playoffs or hurt his development, so I am not going to let that possibility bother me too much. - JD

From Rosenthal, its the lead on the mlb page:

Kenny Lofton played for Dusty Baker with the Giants in 2002 and the Cubs in '03, both times joining Baker's teams in July and then helping them advance deep into the postseason.

Another reunion could be in the works.

In an earlier thread this week, Madville linked to the Pirates Q&A on their web site where Neal Huntington, the Pirates GM, showed he might be a wee bit smarter than our own beloved Wayne Krivsky. He was asked how important OBP was to a team, and his answer, also found at firejoemorgan.com was a doozy...

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BubbaFan thinks the link was too long.

According to Hal McCoy, who has two sources, the Reds have offered Walt Jocketty one of Bob Castellini's titles...either CEO or president. Jocketty would in effect be Krivsky's boss.

If Jocko comes to the Reds, I think it puts Krivsky on the VERY hot seat...

From the article:

Jocketty is considering the offer and has told friends he would have a job in baseball within a week. If he comes to Cincinnati, he most likely would be in charge of baseball operations, a position below Castellini and above General Manager Wayne Krivsky.

Castellini, who heads the Reds' ownership group, refused to talk Friday about upcoming moves by the Reds, including the naming of a permanent manager, and said, "I don't mean to be difficult, but we're not talking about any of this. We're in a shutdown period."

Pujols wasn't hurt. He wanted to play in the All-Star game. For the record, La Russa is an idiot, and I don't want that clown managing the Reds -- ever.

From the Associated Press:

SAN FRANCISCO -- Albert Pujols was angry about being left on the All-Star bench and the St. Louis slugger took aim at the National League manager -- who just happened to be Tony La Russa of his own Cardinals.
"It's the All-Star game. He can do what he wants," Pujols said Tuesday night. "He does whatever he wants. If I wasn't expecting to play, I wouldn't have come up here."
Pujols, the NL MVP in 2005 and key to the Cardinals' win in the World Series last year, said La Russa didn't talk to him the entire game.
Pujols could only watch when Aaron Rowand flied out with the bases loaded to end the American League's 5-4 win.
"If he wants to get upset, he can get upset," La Russa said. "Whatever he wants to do, he can do. It's America. That wasn't the most important thing tonight."
With the 32-man rosters, it's not uncommon for few players to be left out. The AL used 27 players, while the NL used 28.
Pujols and Texas shortstop Michael Young -- last year's All-Star game MVP -- were the only position players who didn't get into the game. Ever since the 2002 event ended in an extra-innings tie, managers have tended to hold a hitter back just in case.
La Russa said he indeed was saving his star player in case the game went long.
"Once we lost (Miguel) Cabrera and (Freddy) Sanchez, he was the guy we were going to use to protect ourselves in case we kept playing because of Albert's versatility," La Russa said. "I think we had the right guy at bat."

I guess Bucky was perhaps not happy about being passed over for the interim job. Or Mackanin wants his own guy:

From DDN.com

Dent out as Reds bench coach
CINCINNATI -- There will be at least one coach replaced when new Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Mackanin takes over today against the San Francisco Giants.
Pat Kelly, manager of the team's Gulf Coast Rookie League Reds, will replace Bucky Dent as bench coach.
Kelly spent last season as a professional scout for the Atlanta Braves and returned to the Reds for this season. Prior to that, Kelly managed Chattanooga, the Reds' Class AA affiliate in the Southern League, in 1993-94.
Kelly, 51, has managed 12 different minor-league teams during his career after retiring as from active play, mostly as a catcher in the minor leagues, making the majors with Toronto in 1980.

So I met my ol mother for lunch today. She's close to 70, but she still watches the Reds as much as she can. But her understanding of baseball is a bit, well, old school. Anyway, she begins talking about how the Reds keep losing and here's what came next:

"Why does Jerry Narron keep sending Dunn up there with runners on base?"

"Uh, Mom, what do ya mean?"

"Well, shouldn't they pinch-hit for him? He always seems to strike out."

"Umm, the Reds pinch-hitters are worse than Dunn. While he's not great, there's no one else who's really any better."

"I don't know, they (the announcers, I assume) were talking about someone who was better with runners on base."

I just had to sigh. I then told Mom that you've been listening to THom Brennaman too much, and that you shouldn't pay any attention to him, or Marty. I then went into my Baseball By the Numbers speech, and taught her that strikeouts aren't evil, bunts aren't like little gold nuggets, and clutch hitting is mostly a myth. I also told her how baseball scoffs at and fears new ideas because it's run mostly by uneducated good ol boys.

I think I might have gotten through to her. I feel good, like we had an intervention.

Now, if only we can have an intervention with Krivsky and Narron about their manlove for aging crappy relievers, and we might be in business.

Don't have all the details yet, but our nightmare is over. Chad Moeller has been designated for assignment and the Reds have called up Norris Hopper.

No more three catchers.....yay!!!

This makes me happy, and now hopefully I'm at 300 characters now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now.

Ummmm, did I say that Chad Moeller is awful?

Hey all. First timer from Ohio. I'm on here because of my interest in Lincecum (have him in two fantasy leagues). Anyway here's some breaking news I thought Giants fans might enjoy.

 The Los Angeles Dodgers placed right-hander Jason Schmidt on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with shoulder inflammation. The move was retroactive to Sunday.
Schmidt had an MRI Monday in Phoenix and there is no timeframe for his return. The team is going to give him a few days off to see if the irritation subsides.
"We are going to give it a few days to let it calm down. Hopefully it's just a short term thing," Dodgers manager Grady Little said.

From C. Trent's blog:

Will post more when I get it, but Dustin Hermanson was saying his goodbyes. One more cut to go.

Yay! One more soft-tossing wash-up scrub gets the axe. My day has just gotten better.

I guess this means that the closers role is back to a Weathers/Stanton job share for now.

From John Fay's blog:

Jerry Narron and Wayne Krivsky just announced the following:

--Chris Denorfia needs "Tommy John" surgery.
--Bobby Livingston and and Gary Majewski were optioned to Louisville.
--Jeff Keppinger, Bill Bray and Elizardo Ramirez go on the DL and will rehab in the Floirda.
--Jerry Gil, Denorfia and Eddie Guardado go on the DL and come north with the team.
--Either Matt Belisle or Kirk Saarloos will be the fifth starter.
--The last position player will be Norris Hopper or Chad Moeller.
--The last relief positions will go to a two of these three: Victor Santos, Jon Courlangus or Jared Burton.

Too bad for Deno. Although I like that Burton and Coutlangus might make the team

 Baseball Prospectus just posted their PECOTA projection for Josh Hamilton for 2007. Funny, it's kinda close to what I said to a buddy of mine today, although I think his batting average might be a bit lower than this.

I'm really happy for Hamilton so far, and this is one of the few Krivsky acquisitions I've actually liked, but I'm not getting too excited yet. It's spring training, and a small sample size.

Anyway, here's BP's projection.

 BA   OBP  SLG   PA  R  2B  3B  HR  RBI  BB  SO  SB  
.254 .306 .409  330 38  15   1  10   39  21  68   5