I hate auto-drafts.  I'm very unimpressed with my team.  Somebody please tell me that my team's not as bad as I think it is.  But first, you should know that it's a 10-team year-to-year league and it's really a TD league.  TDs are worth 6 points each and it's 50 yards per point passing and 20 yards per point rushing and receiving.  Thinking about it another way, passing for 300 yards gets you the same number of points as 1 TD, and rushing or receiving for 120 yards gets you the same number of points as 1 TD.  Generally, whoever scores the most TDs usually wins that week.  So, here's my team...

QB Tony Romo (Dal - QB)
WR Calvin Johnson (Det - WR)
WR Mike Wallace (Pit - WR)
WR Brandon Marshall (Mia - WR)
RB Rashard Mendenhall (Pit - RB)
RB DeAngelo Williams (Car - RB)
TE Tony Gonzalez (Atl - TE)
BN Marshawn Lynch (Sea - RB)
BN Mike Sims-Walker (StL - WR)
BN Joe Flacco (Bal - QB)
BN Deion Branch (NE - WR)
BN Visanthe Shiancoe (Min - TE)

K Alex Henery (Phi - K)
BN Jay Feely (Ari - K)

DEF New York (NYJ - DEF)

Hey everybody.  I'm in a Yahoo Keeper League where we can keep 12 players for next year.  There are some obvious keepers, and there are some obvious drops, but I'm going to give you my entire team to let you pick and choose.  If this was your team, who would you keep for next year? 

For some background into the league itself, it is a 12-team H2H mixed league and almost every stat counts, as follows:
Batting:   R, H, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, AVG, OBP, SLG
Pitching:  W, L, CG, SHO, SV, HR, K, HLD, ERA, WHIP, BSV

My current team is listed after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

Very simple question (really 2 questions):

1. What do you expect from Aaron Hill for the rest of 2011?

2. What do you expect from Chris Davis for the rest of 2011?

Personally, I'm hoping to see some of Hill's power come back in the second half, and I'm hoping he hits around .260-.280 from here on out.  As for Davis, I think he'll be traded somewhere, and then depending on where he goes either his stock will go a little bit higher (due to playing time) or it'll completely plummet.  My money's on plummeting, since I can't see him going to a really good hitter's ballpark like Citizens Bank Park, Fenway, Yankee Stadium, or Coors.  I can see him going to San Diego for a relief pitcher or two, and that'll definitely hurt his stock.

So, what do you all think?

Disclaimer: The reason I'm asking is because I just traded for both of these players (Davis was kind of a throw-in).  I traded Travis Snider and Charlie Blackmon for the two of them.  Personally, I think it's a heck of a deal as long as Hill can regain some of his 2009 form, or even his 2010 power.

Hey everybody.  I'm stuck in a bind now that Dee Gordon has been sent down.  His absence leaves me with an open MI position and nobody to fill it (don't worry about how I got into this position - let's just say the loser formerly known as Chone Figgins was involved).

It is a 12-team H2H mixed league where we keep 6-10 players (number of keepers not finalized yet) and almost every stat counts in our league, as follows:
Batting:   R, H, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, AVG, OBP, SLG
Pitching:  W, L, CG, SHO, SV, HR, K, HLD, ERA, WHIP, BSV

My current team is listed after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

This is a fantasy-specific question, but it's about 2 prospects who were just called up so I hope it's okay to post here.  If not, please let me know and I'll take it down.  I posted it over at FakeTeams also.

Simple question - who do you like better for fantasy purposes for the rest of this season -- Dee Gordon or Jemile Weeks? Ignore position, since they're both "MI" eligible. My league looks at almost every offensive stat, so it's not a standard 5x5. I'm hoping one of these guys can come up and catch fire right away. That way, I can have the option of keeping him or trading him to a manager who thinks he'll keep it up.

Right now, I have Dee Gordon on my team, but I can put in a waiver claim on Weeks (I would replace Gordon with Weeks). What do you think?

Simple question - who do you like better for fantasy purposes for the rest of this season -- Dee Gordon or Jemile Weeks?  Ignore position, since they're both "MI" eligible.  My league looks at almost every offensive stat, so it's not a standard 5x5.  I'm hoping one of these guys can come up and catch fire right away.  That way, I can have the option of keeping him or trading him to a manager who thinks he'll keep it up.

Right now, I have Dee Gordon on my team, but I can put in a waiver claim on Weeks (I would replace Gordon with Weeks).  What do you think?

I posted this over at MinorLeagueBall also.

I just completed a trade in my league, and want to get your thoughts on how I did. Most of these "how did I do" posts are people gloating about their lopsided trades, but this one I'm really not sure about. I don't see it as a no-brainer either way. The deal was the following:

I GAVE UP:  Eric Hosmer, Corey Patterson and Chris Perez
I GOT:  David Wright

Before you anser it, you need to know a little about my league. I am in a 12-team H2H mixed league where we can keep 6-10 (haven't finalized the number) players next year. Almost every stat counts in our league, as follows:
Batting:   R, H, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, AVG, OBP, SLG
Pitching:  W, L, CG, SHO, SV, HR, K, HLD, ERA, WHIP, BSV

Here is my current team (after the trade):

C Jonathan Lucroy(Mil - C)
1B Miguel Cabrera(Det - 1B)
2B Jed Lowrie(Bos - 2B,SS)
3B Jose Bautista(Tor - 3B,RF)
SS Stephen Drew(Ari - SS)
CI Justin Morneau(Min - 1B)
MI Eric Young(Col - 2B,LF)
LF Carl Crawford(Bos - LF)
CF Grady Sizemore(Cle - CF)
RF Corey Hart(Mil - RF)
OF Adam Jones(Bal - CF)
Util Endy Chavez(Tex - OF)
Util Brett Gardner(NYY - LF,CF)

BN Alex Rios(CWS - CF)
BN Chone Figgins(Sea - 2B,3B)
BN Brent Lillibridge(CWS - 2B,CF,RF)
BN David Wright(NYM - 3B)
DL Cameron Maybin(SD - CF)

SP Bud Norris(Hou - SP)
SP Aaron Harang(SD - SP)
SP Madison Bumgarner(SF - SP)
SP Carlos Zambrano(ChC - SP,RP)
SP Aaron Crow(KC - SP,RP)
RP Tim Collins(KC - RP)
RP Matt Thornton(CWS - RP)
RP David Robertson(NYY - RP)
P Kerry Wood(ChC - RP)
P Mark Melancon(Hou - RP)

BN Ervin Santana(LAA - SP)
BN Jake Arrieta(Bal - SP)
BN Rick Porcello(Det - SP)
DL Josh Johnson(Fla - SP)
DL Adam Wainwright(StL - SP)
DL Stephen Strasburg(Was - SP)
DL Jonathan Broxton(LAA - RP)

I think my team is still good enough to compete this year (I'm currently in 5th place out of 12 after starting the season with 3 awful losses), but I think this was definitely a move for next year and possibly this year's playoffs if Wright is healthy and playing well in September. I also don't think it hurts me too much this year - Hosmer is good but he's not David Wright, and I needed a 3B instead of a 1B; Patterson is playing over his head; and Perez provides Saves but nothing more. My keepers for next year will be: Miggy, Bautista, Crawford, Wright, Johnson, Wainwright, Strasburg, and then if I can keep more I'll likely go with Sizemore, Hart and Morneau. That's a monster team in a 12-team league!

Thoughts? Did I give up too much and throw away this season?

I am in a 12-team H2H mixed league where we can keep 6-10 (haven't finalized the number) players next year.  Almost every stat counts in our league, as follows:
Batting: R, H, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, AVG, OBP, SLG
Pitching:  W, L, CG, SHO, SV, HR, K, HLD, ERA, WHIP, BSV

Here is my current team:

C Kurt Suzuki (Oak - C)
1B Miguel Cabrera(Det - 1B)
2B Jed Lowrie(Bos - 2B,SS)
3B Jose Bautista(Tor - 3B,RF)
SS Stephen Drew(Ari - SS)
CI Justin Morneau(Min - 1B)
MI Chone Figgins(Sea - 2B,3B)
LF Carl Crawford(Bos - LF)
CF Grady Sizemore(Cle - CF)
RF Corey Hart(Mil - RF)
OF Adam Jones(Bal - CF)
Util Cameron Maybin(SD - CF)
Util Brett Gardner(NYY - LF,CF)

BN Alex Rios(CWS - CF)
BN Mike Trout(LAA - CF)
BN Eric Hosmer(KC - 1B)

SP Josh Johnson(Fla - SP)
SP Bud Norris(Hou - SP)
SP John Danks(CWS - SP)
SP Carlos Zambrano(ChC - SP,RP)
SP Aaron Crow(KC - SP,RP)
RP Chris Perez(Cle - RP)
RP Matt Thornton(CWS - RP)
RP David Robertson(NYY - RP)
P Jake McGee(TB - RP)
P Kerry Wood(ChC - RP)
BN Ervin Santana(LAA - SP)
BN Matt Harrison(Tex - SP,RP)
BN Madison Bumgarner(SF - SP)
DL Adam Wainwright(StL - SP)
DL Stephen Strasburg(Was - SP)

Jonathan Broxton was just dropped.  Is he worth taking a flier on, or is he going to be useless this year?  If he is placed on the DL, I can just pick back up whoever I drop to get him (assuming he's not taken).  If/when he gets off the DL and if he plays well (two big ifs), then I'm sure I could use him as trade bait.  If you think he's worth picking up, who would you drop?  I think I need to drop Trout, since he's not going to play this year, he won't be a keeper this year, and I really have no idea why I'm stashing him.

Note: This involves both a minor leaguer and it's for fantasy purposes, so I'm posting this at both Minor League Ball and FakeTeams.  I hope that's okay.

Anyway, I wanted to get everybody's thoughts on Eric Young Jr.  He has been putting up good offensive numbers for over a season now in AAA (including a good start this year), and the guy is a base stealing machine.  To me, having  somebody who can steal 60+ bases with 2B eligibility seems like a great thing to have.  Over on MLBTR, there was a post speculating that EY2 may be called up soon (among many others).  I mentioned something about fantasy, and people seemed to really disagree that he is worth anything from a fantasy perspective.  What are your thoughts?  I just found out that my league is only a partial keeper league now (keep 6-10 players) and not a full dynasty league any more (keep all players), so I'm not sure if he's worth stashing any more, but I have room on my bench right now, so why not?

So what are your thoughts on EY2?  All-Star?  Good MLBer?  Average MLBer?  Terrible MLBer?  Completely useless and you're pissed at me for wasting your time?  Please let me know.  I just don't understand why I'm high on this guy and it  seems like NOBODY else is.

Note: This involves both a minor leaguer and it's for fantasy purposes, so I'm posting this at both Minor League Ball and FakeTeams.  I hope that's okay.

Anyway, I wanted to get everybody's thoughts on Eric Young Jr.  He has been putting up good offensive numbers for over a season now in AAA (including a good start this year), and the guy is a base stealing machine.  To me, having  somebody who can steal 60+ bases with 2B eligibility seems like a great thing to have.  Over on MLBTR, there was a post speculating that EY2 may be called up soon (among many others).  I mentioned something about fantasy, and people seemed to really disagree that he is worth anything from a fantasy perspective.  What are your thoughts?  I just found out that my league is only a partial keeper league now (keep 6-10 players) and not a full dynasty league any more (keep all players), so I'm not sure if he's worth stashing any more, but I have room on my bench right now, so why not?

So what are your thoughts on EY2?  All-Star?  Good MLBer?  Average MLBer?  Terrible MLBer?  Completely useless and you're pissed at me for wasting your time?  Please let me know.  I just don't understand why I'm high on this guy and it  seems like NOBODY else is.

Hey Everybody.  I'm looking for a little advice on 2 topics, which I'll break up into a Part 1 and Part 2.  I have what I believe is a pretty good team (though I'm currently in 11th place out of 12) this year, but we're using a format that we've never used before (Head-to-Head) so I'm still figuring things out.  For some background: We've been in a dynasty league for 8 years, but this year we blew up our teams and started from scratch, switching to a H2H format.  I haven't been told if it's going to be a dynasty or keeper or year-to-year league, which made it really hard to draft and is making it even harder to save roster spots for minor leaguers.  It is a 12-team H2H mixed league where almost every stat counts, as follows:

Batting: R, H, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, AVG, OBP, SLG

Pitching:  W, L, CG, SHO, SV, HR, K, HLD, ERA, WHIP, BSV

Here is my current team:

C Kurt Suzuki (Oak - C)
1B Miguel Cabrera(Det - 1B)
2B Chone Figgins(Sea - 2B,3B)
3B Alex Rodriguez(NYY - 3B)
SS Stephen Drew(Ari - SS)
CI Justin Morneau(Min - 1B)
MI Jed Lowrie(Bos - 2B,SS)
LF Brett Gardner(NYY - LF,CF)
CF Alex Rios(CWS - CF)
RF Jose Bautista(Tor - 3B,RF)
OF Adam Jones(Bal - CF)
Util Cameron Maybin(SD - CF)
Util Grady Sizemore(Cle - CF)
BN Eric Young(Col - 2B,LF)
BN Mike Trout(LAA - CF)
BN Eric Hosmer(KC - 1B)
DL Chase Utley(Phi - 2B)
DL Corey Hart(Mil - RF)


SP Josh Johnson(Fla - SP)
SP John Danks(CWS - SP)
SP Carl Pavano(Min - SP)
SP Carlos Zambrano(ChC - SP,RP)
SP Aaron Crow(KC - SP,RP)
RP Chris Perez(Cle - RP)
RP Bobby Jenks(Bos - RP)
RP Matt Thornton(CWS - RP)
P Jake McGee(TB - RP)
P Kerry Wood(ChC - RP)
BN Ervin Santana(LAA - SP)
BN Matt Harrison(Tex - SP,RP)
BN Bud Norris(Hou - SP)
BN Tim Collins(KC - RP)
DL Adam Wainwright(StL - SP)
DL Stephen Strasburg(Was - SP)

Anyway, I've been offered the following trade:
I give up:  Josh Johnson (my one great SP not on the DL)
I get:  Rickie Weeks, Desmond Jennings, Chris Sale

I am not going to accept the trade as-is (mostly because I like to get the best player involved in any trade, and I really don't like giving up the best player AND having to drop 2 others).  The person who made the offer also has the following players, who I would be interested in: Miguel Montero, HanRam (I won't be able to get him), Mike Stanton, Colby Rasmus, Lincecum (unlikely), Kershaw (unlikely)

I'm not sure what counter-offer to make, or if I should just say "no" and move on.  My SP isn't all that great (it's pretty bad) and JJ is really a game-changer.  I doubt if I'd be able to swap JJ out with any of my other SPs.

So, please let me know what you think of my team and also what you would do with this offer in my situation.  Thanks a lot everybody!

Hey Everybody.  I'm looking for a little advice on 2 topics, which I'll break up into a Part 1 and Part 2.  I have what I believe is a pretty good team (though I'm currently in 11th place out of 12) this year, but we're using a format that we've never used before (Head-to-Head) so I'm still figuring things out.  For some background: We've been in a dynasty league for 8 years, but this year we blew up our teams and started from scratch, switching to a H2H format.  I haven't been told if it's going to be a dynasty or keeper or year-to-year league, which made it really hard to draft and is making it even harder to save roster spots for minor leaguers.  It is a 12-team H2H mixed league where almost every stat counts, as follows:

Batting: R, H, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, AVG, OBP, SLG

Pitching:  W, L, CG, SHO, SV, HR, K, HLD, ERA, WHIP, BSV

Here is my current team:

C Kurt Suzuki (Oak - C)
1B Miguel Cabrera(Det - 1B)
2B Chone Figgins(Sea - 2B,3B)
3B Alex Rodriguez(NYY - 3B)
SS Stephen Drew(Ari - SS)
CI Justin Morneau(Min - 1B)
MI Jed Lowrie(Bos - 2B,SS)
LF Brett Gardner(NYY - LF,CF)
CF Alex Rios(CWS - CF)
RF Jose Bautista(Tor - 3B,RF)
OF Adam Jones(Bal - CF)
Util Cameron Maybin(SD - CF)
Util Grady Sizemore(Cle - CF)
BN Eric Young(Col - 2B,LF)
BN Mike Trout(LAA - CF)
BN Eric Hosmer(KC - 1B)
DL Chase Utley(Phi - 2B)
DL Corey Hart(Mil - RF)


SP Josh Johnson(Fla - SP)
SP John Danks(CWS - SP)
SP Carl Pavano(Min - SP)
SP Carlos Zambrano(ChC - SP,RP)
SP Aaron Crow(KC - SP,RP)
RP Chris Perez(Cle - RP)
RP Bobby Jenks(Bos - RP)
RP Matt Thornton(CWS - RP)
P Jake McGee(TB - RP)
P Kerry Wood(ChC - RP)
BN Ervin Santana(LAA - SP)
BN Matt Harrison(Tex - SP,RP)
BN Bud Norris(Hou - SP)
BN Tim Collins(KC - RP)
DL Adam Wainwright(StL - SP)
DL Stephen Strasburg(Was - SP)

Anyway, Corey Hart is coming off the DL, and I'm not sure who to drop to make room for him.  My gut says Maybin or one of my minor leaguers (EY2, Trout, Hosmer) but I'm not sure which way to go.  Out of those 3 minor leaguers, my first choice to drop would be EY2, but I believe he'll be called up soon and could provide 40-50 SBs while being eligible at 2B.  That's a very valuable fantasy asset.  I'm also not opposed to dropping Santana or one of Collins/Crow.

So, please let me know what you think of my team and also what you would do with Hart in my situation.  Thanks a lot everybody!

How many people in here have heard of Clint Robinson?  Probably most of you.  However, I have not until I read a post that listed him this morning over at FakeTeams.  Since I don't know anything about him other than what I can look up on the world wide netweb, I thought I'd come to the experts.  Why don't I see this guy in any prospect rankings?  My guess is that he's just seen as being too old, but what would a 26 year old need to do in AAA to be considered a prospect?  Would he need to hit .400/.500/.700?  You can only beat the people you play against.  I realize he was 25, but he hit .335/.410/.625 in AA last year with 29 HRs and 41 Doubles to win the Texas League triple crown.

Though many people don't see him as a prospect (again, I'm assuming because of his age), could he be something special in the majors?

The more I look at this Royals farm system, the more ridiculous it gets!  This is better than the Rays farm of a few years ago!

I'll try to make this quick - what does everybody think about Mark Trumbo on the Angels?  What are your projections for him for this year?  I know it's a very tough question because there's no way that anybody knows how many ABs he'll get in the majors, and his AAA numbers were likely inflated from his park, but he's an intriguing bat without any defense.  Seems like a DH in the making to me.

I have a pretty decent fantasy team in a very deep H2H Keeper league, but with Chase Utley out, I have no 2B.  At this point, I'm picking up the scraps, but my 2 best options seem to be Will Rhymes or Brad Emaus.  ALL offensive numbers matter (H, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, K, AVG, OPS, etc) - this isn't your typical 5x5 league.  Any help would be greatly appreciated, because I honestly don't know much about either of these guys.

UPDATE:  As I mentioned in a couple comments below, I should point out that I’m actually looking for a MI, not necessarily a 2B, but the MI waiver-wire is pathetic. Aside from Emaus and Rhymes, there’s Freddy Sanchez, Eric Young (who would be a great pickup if he played), Orlando Hudson, Alberto Callaspo, Yuniesky Betancourt, Orlando Cabrera, Keppinger, Shumaker, Ellis, Jerry Hairston Jr, Bill Hall, etc.

Hi All,

First of all, I apologize for posting this question here.  I know it has nothing to do with minor leagues or prospects, but I know a lot of people in here play lots of Fantasy Baseball so I thought I'd ask everybody for your help because I trust the MinorLeagueBall posters.

Anyway, I've been in a Yahoo! Dynasty Baseball League for 7 years now, and we're looking to start over with something new.  Currently, we don't have any salary-caps or anything like that, but we'd like to start up a salary-cap league with all of the same managers.  So, my questions to you are:

1. What website do you use for your salary-cap fantasy baseball leagues?
2. How do you like it?  What do you like and not like about it?
   
3. Does the website allow for Dynasty Leagues (i.e. it'll keep track of your teams), or do you need to just remember your players and redraft each year (which of course isn't a big deal)?
4. How does it work?  I understand this question may not be all that fun to answer, so if you answer #1 above, I should be able to go to that site to read up on how it works.

Thanks everybody for all of your help!  The league and I really do appreciate it!

Hi All,

I've been in a Yahoo! Dynasty Baseball League for 7 years now, and we're looking to start over with something new.  Currently, we don't have any salary-caps or anything like that, but we'd like to start up a salary-cap league with all of the same managers.  So, my questions to you are:

1. What website do you use for your salary-cap fantasy baseball leagues?
2. How do you like it?  What do you like and not like about it?
   
3. Does the website allow for Dynasty Leagues (i.e. it'll keep track of your teams), or do you need to just remember your players and redraft each year (which of course isn't a big deal)?
4. How does it work?  I understand this question may not be all that fun to answer, so if you answer #1 above, I should be able to go to that site to read up on how it works.

Thanks everybody for all of your help!  The league and I really do appreciate it!

As a Red Sox fan I'm sad to see Manny Delcarmen go, but I think it was the right move for the system.  Though he has flashed signs of utter dominance, he has never been able to show consistency.  Good luck in the NL, Manny.  With your stuff, you should be able to dominate that league (though of course Coors Field won't give you much help).

Now, can somebody please tell me something I don't know about Chris Balcom-Miller?  Let's be honest, anything you tell me about him will be something new.

I'm just throwing in this poll for fun, but it's not really the point of this discussion...

There are 3 CFers who have either been called up in the last couple of years, or are back in the minors that I'm looking at right now.  I still consider them prospects - maybe you do and maybe you don't.  Anyway, I can't see a standout between the 3 of them and was hoping some of you could shed some light on the players.  I know some of you LOVE Fowler, and some of you just think he'll be okay.  I'm assuming the same thing can be said about the other two players here.  So, I'm just curious to see everybody's thoughts on each of the following CFs, who I consider middle-tier guys.  Is there an obvious best?  Obvious worst?  Will one be a superstar?  Are they all gold-glovers?  What are their best assets?

Here are the 3 players I'm thinking about:

Dexter Fowler

Cameron Maybin

Drew Stubbs

***UPDATED*** Counter-offer didn't work so I've updated the poll to 2 choices.  Please select.

ORIGINAL POST:

I'm in a 10-team Dynasty League (Year 7) which we play on Yahoo.com with no minor leagues or salaries or contracts or anything like that - just straight Yahoo Fantasy Baseball. I was offered Mark Teixeira and Ian Kinsler for Hanley Ramirez, which I turned down (at least for now).  I'm considering making a counter-offer for the same players, but I would extend it to be Mark Teixeira and Ian Kinsler and Stephen Strasburg for Hanley Ramirez and Jake Peavy and Dexter Fowler.  I'm concerned with Kinsler - his power numbers are nonexistent and even in his best year (2009), he only batted .253.  I have enough low-BA guys on my team!  I believe Tex will bounce back, though.

Here is my team:

C    Matt Wieters (Bal - C)
1B   Lance Berkman (Hou - 1B)
2B    Dan Uggla (Fla - 2B)
3B    Ian Stewart (Col - 2B,3B)
SS    Hanley Ramirez (Fla - SS)
CI    Carlos Pena (TB - 1B)
MI    Jose Reyes (NYM - SS)
LF    Bobby Abreu (LAA - LF,RF)
CF    Adam Jones (Bal - CF)
RF    Jay Bruce (Cin - RF)
OF    Nelson Cruz (Tex - RF)
UTIL    Derrek Lee (Chi - 1B)
UTIL    Justin Upton (Ari - RF)

BN    Pedro Alvarez (Pit - 3B)
BN    Cameron Maybin (Fla - CF)
BN    Dexter Fowler (Col - CF)
DL     Travis Snider (Tor - LF,RF)

SP    Chris Carpenter (StL - SP)
SP    Matt Garza (TB - SP)
SP    Jake Peavy (CWS - SP)
SP    Rick Porcello (Det - SP)
SP    David Price (TB - SP)
RP    Jose Valverde (Hou - RP)
RP    Chris Perez (Cle - RP)
RP    Joel Zumaya (Det - RP)
P       Mike Leake (Cin - SP)
P       Craig Kimbrel (Atl - RP)

BN    Johnny Cueto (Cin - SP)
BN    Brian Matusz (Bal - SP)
BN    Madison Bumgarner (SF - SP)
BN    Javier Vazquez (NYY - SP)
DL    Chad Billingsley (LAD - SP)
DL    Rich Harden (ChC - SP)
DL    Homer Bailey (Cin - SP)
DL    Erik Bedard (Sea - SP)

So, a few questions are:

• Am I nuts to turn down that initial offer?
• Is it stupid to make my counter-offer (because it's asking for too much or because it's not asking for enough)?
• What other thoughts do you have?  The other manager also has Tulo and Utley, but he thinks they're both better than HanRam (at least that's what he tells me), so I don't think I can get either of them.

Hey everybody!  I've been contemplating picking up either Craig Kimbrel or Zach Braddock in my Dynasty League (I don't have a shot at winning this year, so I'm looking for the future), and thought I'd ask everybody's advice here about the players.  Do any of you know a lot about either of these players, who could possibly be Closers-in-the-making?  They both have old Closers blocking them (assuming Axford doesn't stick at CL), so they could potentially take over as Closer in the next year or two.  They both seem to be strikeout machines, but they also both seem to lack any kind of control, walking absurd amounts of batters.  At the same time, it looked like minor leaguers couldn't hit them at all!

So, I'm looking for numbers/thoughts/projections about these players.  If somebody knows a lot about both players, that would be great, but even if you just know about one I'd appreciate any information.

If you vote in the poll, please backup your selection with reasoning in the comments section.

Hey everybody!  Do any of you know a lot about either Craig Kimbrel or Zach Braddock, who could possibly be Closers-in-the-making?  They both have old Closers blocking them (assuming Axford doesn't stick at CL), so they could potentially take over as Closer in the next year or two.  They both seem to be strikeout machines, but they also both seem to lack any kind of control, walking absurd amounts of batters.  At the same time, it looked like minor leaguers couldn't hit them at all!  They're both now in the majors, but with such few appearances I thought it would be an appropriate discussion topic for this forum.  If you don't agree, please let me know and I'll delete the post.

So, I'm looking for numbers/thoughts/projections about these players.  If somebody knows a lot about both players, that would be great, but even if you just know about one I'd appreciate any information.

If you vote in the poll, please backup your selection with reasoning in the comments section.

Disclaimer:  I've been contemplating picking up either Craig Kimbrel or Zach Braddock in my Dynasty League (I don't have a shot at winning this year, so I'm looking for the future), and thought I'd ask everybody's advice here about the players.  I'm not necessarily looking for fantasy advice (I know people hate that around here!) - I just want to learn more about the players.

I'm in a 10-team Dynasty League (year 7), where most stats count (not just your typical 5x5).  There are no contracts or minor leagues or anything involved - it's just straight Yahoo Fantasy Baseball.  Anyway, I've been offered the following trade proposal: Francisco Cordero and Colby Lewis for Mike Leake.  I am completely torn (normally I have an inclination on which way to go right away, but I keep going back and forth with this one).  I am not a fan of Lewis nor his ballpark, and I think Cordero is okay for this year but other than SVs (which I do need), he's not all that great, especially into the future.  Also, to accept the trade, I would need to drop somebody, which makes it an even tougher decision.  I'm looking for your advice/thoughts about any of the players involved.

Here is my team:

C    Matt Wieters (Bal - C)
1B   Lance Berkman (Hou - 1B)
2B    Dan Uggla (Fla - 2B)
3B    Ian Stewart (Col - 2B,3B)
SS    Hanley Ramirez (Fla - SS)
CI    Carlos Pena (TB - 1B)
MI    Jose Reyes (NYM - SS)
LF    Bobby Abreu (LAA - LF,RF)
CF    Adam Jones (Bal - CF)
RF    Jay Bruce (Cin - RF)
OF    Nelson Cruz (Tex - RF)
UTIL    Derrek Lee (Chi - 1B)
UTIL    Justin Upton (Ari - RF)

BN    Pedro Alvarez (Pit - 3B)
BN    Cameron Maybin (Fla - CF)
DL     Travis Snider (Tor - LF,RF)

SP    Chris Carpenter (StL - SP)
SP    Matt Garza (TB - SP)
SP    Jake Peavy (CWS - SP)
SP    Rick Porcello (Det - SP)
SP    Rich Harden (ChC - SP)
RP    Jose Valverde (Hou - RP)
RP    Chris Perez (Cle - RP)
RP    Joel Zumaya (Det - RP)
P       Chad Billingsley (LAD - SP)
P       David Price (TB - SP)

BN    Mike Leake (Cin - SP)
BN    Brian Matusz (Bal - SP)
BN    Johnny Cueto (Cin - SP)
BN    Madison Bumgarner (SF - SP)
BN    Javier Vazquez (NYY - SP)
DL    Erik Bedard (Sea - SP)

Thoughts?  Do I accept the trade?  If so, who do I drop to make room?  Do I make a counter-offer?  He doesn't have any better CL that I can ask for, other than maybe Andrew Bailey.  He also has Hamels, Kershaw, Verlander and King Felix, though I doubt I'd be able to get one of those guys in place of Lewis.

Also, on a side-note, just so I don't post too many times, what are everybody's thoughts on Leake vs. Cueto?  They both came out on fire, and Cueto has cooled down a bit since he first got to the majors.  Leake's not exactly a K machine, but all of his numbers are very good.  Is one much better than the other?  Is there a general concensus on who is better (fantasy-wise), Leake or Cueto?  I'm hoping to find some Reds fans here!

With the possibility of sounding like Seinfeld, what is the deal with Kila Ka'aihue?  His minor league numbers are insanely good (or have been for the last few years), yet he has never really been given a chance in the majors.  I understand that Butler is having a good season at 1B and Guillen is having a great season at DH, but Kila deserves to be put into the lineup SOMEWHERE!  Doesn't he?  Even in his SSS 2008 (21 ABs), he hit a HR and got more BBs than Ks.  That's VERY hard to do as a rookie in your first 21 ABs!  The guy is an on-base machine, and I think he deserves a chance at some legitimate PT.

Do you agree, or am I way off here?  Based on his numbers (and numbers alone), can he make a Nelson Cruz-like offensive impact in the majors if given PT?  What do you predict for his slash numbers both in his "peak years" and "average years"?

I just want to get people's thoughts on Cameron Maybin vs Dexter Fowler.  I'm in a Dynasty League and have both players, but somebody just dropped Carlos Beltran (not a very smart league), so I'm going to try to pick him up off of waivers.  I would drop one of either Maybin or Fowler to do so.  So, my question is this - who would you drop to pick up Beltran?  Also, what do you guys/girls project for Maybin and Fowler both in their peak years and 'average' years?

I know some of you don't like Fantasy-related questions on here, so this can be taken any way you want, but I just want to get people's thoughts on Cameron Maybin vs Dexter Fowler.  I'm in a Dynasty League and have both players, but somebody just dropped Carlos Beltran (not a very smart league), so I'm going to try to pick him up off of waivers.  I would drop one of either Maybin or Fowler to do so.  So, my question is this - who would you drop to pick up Beltran?  Also, what do you guys/girls project for Maybin and Fowler both in their peak years and 'average' years?

I'm in a 10-team Dynasty League (year 7), where most stats count (not just your typical 5x5).  There are no contracts or minor leagues or anything involved - it's just straight Yahoo Fantasy Baseball.  Anyway, I've been offered Adam Jones for Carlos Lee, and I'm leaning toward taking it.  I'm not sure how long the offer will be on the table, so I'd appreciate some good feedback if you guys have the time.  Here is my team:

C    Matt Wieters (Bal - C)
1B    Lance Berkman (Hou - 1B)
2B    Dan Uggla (Fla - 2B)
3B    Ian Stewart (Col - 2B,3B)
SS    Hanley Ramirez (Fla - SS)
CI    Carlos Pena (TB - 1B)
MI    Jose Reyes (NYM - SS)
LF    Carlos Lee (Hou - LF)
CF    Cameron Maybin (Fla - CF)
RF    Justin Upton (Ari - RF)
OF    Jay Bruce (Cin - RF)
UTIL    Bobby Abreu (LAA - LF,RF)
UTIL    Nelson Cruz (Tex - RF)

BN    Pedro Alvarez (Pit - 3B)
BN    Alex Gordon (KC - 3B)
BN    Buster Posey (SF - C)
BN    Travis Snider (Tor - LF,RF)

SP    Chris Carpenter (StL - SP)
SP    Matt Garza (TB - SP)
SP    Jake Peavy (CWS - SP)
SP    Rick Porcello (Det - SP)
SP    Rich Harden (ChC - SP)
RP    Jose Valverde (Hou - RP)
RP    Chris Perez (Cle - RP)
RP    ---
P    Chad Billingsley (LAD - SP)
P    Brian Matusz (Bal - SP)

BN    David Price (TB - SP)
BN    Johnny Cueto (Cin - SP)
BN    Chris Tillman (Bal - SP)
BN    Scott Kazmir (LAA - SP)

I can easily slide Abreu or Snider into LF, and Adam Jones would take over CF from Maybin (until Maybin proves himself worthy).  Thoughts?

Here are a two questions in one post.  I'm part of a Dynasty League, and I've listed my team below.  The league is hosted by Yahoo and there are no contracts or anything on the players (i.e. no dollars involved).  Most offensive and pitching stats matter, so this isn't your standard 5x5 league.  Anyway, here are my questions:

1. I was offered Albert Pujols for Hanley Ramirez, Chris Carpenter and Matt Wieters, which I declined.  I countered replacing Wieters with Posey, and he declined.  He then emailed me saying that he would do Pujols for HanRam, Carpenter and Pena.  I don't want to do that, but am considering making a counter-offer of Pujols for just HanRam and Pena, which I doubt he'd accept.  Thoughts?  Even if I was to do this trade, I'd have to shift Stewart to MI and put Gordon or Alvarez at 3B, and then next year I'd be screwed at MI (once Stewart loses 2B eligibility).  I'm not too concerned about this right now, but it's a thought.
   
2. Aaron Harang, Erik Bedard and Ervin Santana are all available right now on the FA market.  I wouldn't mind having one of these guys on my team, but I have no idea who I would drop to make room.  Thoughts?
   

Here is my team:

C    Matt Wieters (Bal - C)
1B    Lance Berkman (Hou - 1B)
2B    Dan Uggla (Fla - 2B)
3B    Ian Stewart (Col - 2B,3B)
SS    Hanley Ramirez (Fla - SS)
CI    Carlos Pena (TB - 1B)
MI    Jose Reyes (NYM - SS)
LF    Carlos Lee (Hou - LF)
CF    Cameron Maybin (Fla - CF)
RF    Justin Upton (Ari - RF)
OF    Jay Bruce (Cin - RF)
UTIL    Bobby Abreu (LAA - LF,RF)
UTIL    Nelson Cruz (Tex - RF)

BN    Pedro Alvarez (Pit - 3B)
BN    Alex Gordon (KC - 3B)
BN    Buster Posey (SF - C)
BN    Travis Snider (Tor - LF,RF)

SP    Chris Carpenter (StL - SP)
SP    Matt Garza (TB - SP)
SP    Jake Peavy (CWS - SP)
SP    Rick Porcello (Det - SP)
SP    Rich Harden (ChC - SP)
RP    Jose Valverde (Hou - RP)
RP    Chris Perez (Cle - RP)
RP    ---
P    Chad Billingsley (LAD - SP)
P    Brian Matusz (Bal - SP)

BN    David Price (TB - SP)
BN    Johnny Cueto (Cin - SP)
BN    Chris Tillman (Bal - SP)
BN    Scott Kazmir (LAA - SP)

*DISCLOSURE: This has nothing directly to do with Minor Leaguers, but I'm going to you all for advice because I know a lot of you play in Keeper/Dynasty Leagues.  Based on this, if you want me to delete this post please let me know and I will.

Anyway, I'm in a Dynasty League and I can only keep 29 players (I have more than 29 right now because some of the guys ended last year on the DL), so I need to drop some.  My question is this:  which 5 players would you drop if you were the manager of my team?

I've also posted this question on FakeTeams, but there don't seem to be as many followers over there.

Here is my team:

C    Matt Wieters (Bal - C)
1B    Lance Berkman (Hou - 1B)
2B    Dan Uggla (Fla - 2B)
3B    Ian Stewart (Col - 2B,3B)
SS    Hanley Ramirez (Fla - SS)
CI    Carlos Pena (TB - 1B)
MI    Jose Reyes (NYM - SS)
LF    Carlos Lee (Hou - LF)
CF    Cameron Maybin (Fla - CF)
RF    Justin Upton (Ari - RF)
OF    Jay Bruce (Cin - RF)
UTIL    Bobby Abreu (LAA - LF,RF)
UTIL    Nelson Cruz (Tex - RF)

BN    Lars Anderson (Bos - 1B)
BN    Alex Gordon (KC - 3B)
BN    Fernando Martinez (NYM - LF,CF,RF)
BN    Buster Posey (SF - C)
BN    Alexei Ramirez (CWS - SS)
BN    Sean Rodriguez (TB - 2B)
BN    Travis Snider (Tor - LF,RF)

SP    Chris Carpenter (StL - SP)
SP    Matt Garza (TB - SP)
SP    Jake Peavy (CWS - SP)
SP    Rick Porcello (Det - SP)
SP    Rich Harden (ChC - SP)
RP    Jose Valverde (Hou - RP)
RP    Chris Perez (Cle - RP)
RP    ---
P    Chad Billingsley (LAD - SP)
P    Brian Matusz (Bal - SP)

BN    David Price (TB - SP)
BN    Johnny Cueto (Cin - SP)
BN    Ervin Santana (LAA - SP)
BN    Chris Tillman (Bal - SP)
BN    Scott Kazmir (LAA - SP)

I'm considering dropping the following :  Anderson, FMart, A. Ramirez, S. Rodriguez, <?>

I have no idea who to drop as my 5th player.  Thoughts?  Which 5 players would you drop?

I'm in a Dynasty League and I can only keep 29 players (I have more than 29 right now because some of the guys ended last year on the DL), so I need to drop some.  My question is this:  which 5 players would you drop if you were the manager of my team?

Here is my team:

C    Matt Wieters (Bal - C)
1B    Lance Berkman (Hou - 1B)
2B    Dan Uggla (Fla - 2B)
3B    Ian Stewart (Col - 2B,3B)
SS    Hanley Ramirez (Fla - SS)
CI    Carlos Pena (TB - 1B)
MI    Jose Reyes (NYM - SS)
LF    Carlos Lee (Hou - LF)
CF    Cameron Maybin (Fla - CF)
RF    Justin Upton (Ari - RF)
OF    Jay Bruce (Cin - RF)
UTIL    Bobby Abreu (LAA - LF,RF)
UTIL    Nelson Cruz (Tex - RF)

BN    Lars Anderson (Bos - 1B)
BN    Alex Gordon (KC - 3B)
BN    Fernando Martinez (NYM - LF,CF,RF)
BN    Buster Posey (SF - C)
BN    Alexei Ramirez (CWS - SS)
BN    Sean Rodriguez (TB - 2B)
BN    Travis Snider (Tor - LF,RF)

SP    Chris Carpenter (StL - SP)
SP    Matt Garza (TB - SP)
SP    Jake Peavy (CWS - SP)
SP    Rick Porcello (Det - SP)
SP    Rich Harden (ChC - SP)
RP    Jose Valverde (Hou - RP)
RP    Chris Perez (Cle - RP)
RP    ---
P    Chad Billingsley (LAD - SP)
P    Brian Matusz (Bal - SP)

BN    David Price (TB - SP)
BN    Johnny Cueto (Cin - SP)
BN    Ervin Santana (LAA - SP)
BN    Chris Tillman (Bal - SP)
BN    Scott Kazmir (LAA - SP)

I'm considering dropping the following :  Anderson, FMart, A. Ramirez, S. Rodriguez, <?>

I have no idea who to drop as my 5th player.  Thoughts?  Which 5 players would you drop?