Deep fantasy baseball league

[username]

think my week of wheelin' and dealin' is coming to a close...

 

after an active offseason, i've seen a good amount of roster turnover:

 

LOST:

 

McCutcheon,

Nolasco,

Street,

Sabathia,

some mediocre roster filler

 

GAINED:

 

Julio Teheran

Jimmy Nelson

Nolan Arenado

Leonys Martin

Robbie Ray

Edwin Escobar

Mike Foltynewicz

 

 

I think my team takes a bit of a step back in the short term but i'm generally happy with my roster and the fact that i was able to shed some years.

 

i actually think all 4 of our teams got better this offseason. especially like noah's moves

[biggentleben]

I'm happy where I'm at with my roster. I didn't have a lot of great trade fodder to work with but as much as anything, I've scoured the waiver wire and free agents for guys I like as bounceback types or young guys I could see being good in the scoring system like Peraza. Still getting some ridiculous offers, but we'll see whether I'm done or not.

[username]

I'm happy where I'm at with my roster. I didn't have a lot of great trade fodder to work with but as much as anything, I've scoured the waiver wire and free agents for guys I like as bounceback types or young guys I could see being good in the scoring system like Peraza. Still getting some ridiculous offers, but we'll see whether I'm done or not.

 

 

Can you top this one?

 

Hoyas have offered you a Trade in the CUP O' COFFEE : Delino

DeShields, Victor Sanchez, Michael Choice, Adeiny

Hechavarria and George Springer for Alex Rios, Robinson Cano

and Prince Fielder.

[PseudoSABR]

Let's see what did I give up:

Chris Davis

Soler

Davidson

Berrios (a pick used from Dave for Scott Diamond)

Pinto (waiver wire pick up)

Two second round picks

 

for

 

Mauer

Fister

J. Hamilton

Bucholz

C. Johnson

 

I was okay with giving up a few prospects, none beyond Soler a top 25 type, because I was going to get two guys in the draft (turns out it's Stewart and Frazier, which I figured I woudl end up taking all along). So I feel pretty good about my offseason.

 

Not sure I totally understand the trajectory of your team, Mike. I thought you had another chance at an elite run, and I think you undersold on some veterans--though you probably know better about the prospects you picked up than I do.

[username]

 

Not sure I totally understand the trajectory of your team, Mike. I thought you had another chance at an elite run, and I think you undersold on some veterans--though you probably know better about the prospects you picked up than I do.

 

can't argue with that, i definitely didnt get the returns i was aiming for but i'm generally OK with the outcome i guess.

 

i really just wanted to avoid a scenario where all of my good players ended up in their mid-30s (and undesirable to other teams) and my only means of rebuilding is through the draft pick lottery.

 

i did this a few years back when i traded guys like utley, granderson, tulowitzki, holliday for cano, austin jackson, andrus, upton. slight downgrade at the time but i was able to stay competitive while buying a few extra years.

 

also, i didn't really like my chances to win again this year. some teams are just insanely stacked (especially billy buck and DEM)

[biggentleben]

Can you top this one?

 

Hoyas have offered you a Trade in the CUP O' COFFEE : Delino

DeShields, Victor Sanchez, Michael Choice, Adeiny

Hechavarria and George Springer for Alex Rios, Robinson Cano

and Prince Fielder.

 

LOL. Nope, can't top that. I have had some interesting ones for just Franklin.

[PseudoSABR]

Moved back in the second round by trading Asher Wojciechowski, I then drafted Alexander Guerrero, which I felt was pretty good value.

[kab21]

Moved back in the second round by trading Asher Wojciechowski, I then drafted Alexander Guerrero, which I felt was pretty good value.

 

Wojo is waiver wire fodder and Guerrero should have been picked in the middle of the first rd (or higher) so that's an excellent move.

[biggentleben]

Wojo is waiver wire fodder and Guerrero should have been picked in the middle of the first rd (or higher) so that's an excellent move.

 

He was #3 for me at my pick, and he lasted until the 2nd round. I was very surprised on that.

[username]

great trade and great pick noah

[PseudoSABR]

What do you guys think of the Choo (for Max Muncy and Jason Hursch) trade today? I worry that Steve may be trolling with his team again.

[username]

I've never heard of those two before. I'm assuming they are marginal prospects? I will continue to give him the benefit of the doubt since I can't imagine anyone would continue to pay into a league for the sole purpose of trolling the other owners.

 

FWIW I offered him my 1st round MiLB pick and 1st round MLB pick.

[PseudoSABR]

I've never heard of those two before. I'm assuming they are marginal prospects? I will continue to give him the benefit of the doubt since I can't imagine anyone would continue to pay into a league for the sole purpose of trolling the other owners.

 

FWIW I offered him my 1st round MiLB pick and 1st round MLB pick.

As did I; and I'd take either of our packages over what he obtained, (the A's 6th prospect and the Braves' 4th); all the packaged were selling Choo oddly short. I don't claim to understand Steve's motives; but last offseason he didn't defend his moves by asserting his baseball philosophy or acumen-- he was staunch with his "I get to do what I want with my team."

[biggentleben]

Hursh is a guy who was considered to be on par with Jonathan Gray in stuff before he was hurt in 2012. He has come back with a ton of correction to his mechanics, so many thought his once-elite control would return as he got farther away from TJ surgery. The Braves drafted him in the first round and sent him to low-A to work with pitching coach Derrick Lewis, a long-time member of the Braves' minor league staff. He'll likely move to high-A in Lynchburg where Lewis was promoted this offseason. Lewis is a master of the changeup, which could be the key to whether Hursh becomes a solid mid-rotation starter or ends up a very good reliever (and in the Braves system, a reliever will have a tough time making headway).

 

Okay, away from my admitted too-deep knowledge of the Braves, that was nowhere near enough for Choo to get Hursh and a guy who benefited from the Cal League's offensive environment. Heck, he moved up to AA in the Texas League, another hitter's league traditionally, but he managed a .413 slg in that league. Muncy's also defensively most skilled for DH, and a platoon DH at that.

[ashbury]

Max Muncy? His name wouldn't register with me, except by the coincidence of meeting his father in Arizona during the WBC last year. Real nice guy, and that has been enough to cause me to follow the son's progress - legitimate looking power prospect on paper. How's that for a scouting report?

[biggentleben]

Max Muncy? His name wouldn't register with me, except by the coincidence of meeting his father in Arizona during the WBC last year. Real nice guy, and that has been enough to cause me to follow the son's progress - legitimate looking power prospect on paper. How's that for a scouting report?

 

True until you look at his leagues that he put up those numbers in. Cal League and Texas League are both notorious hitter's leagues. Not quite to the level of the Pacific Coast League, but still definite hitter's parks. I'll be interested to see if he can handle AA for a full season with any power. He's also not built like a big masher. Not saying you have to be 6'4 and 240 to ever be a power hitter, but 6', 190 is not exactly screaming power hitter.

[ashbury]

Agreed about the league effect(s). Weighing against that is that sometimes it takes a while for a lean guy like him to have his power come in, and he's able to show the power now.

 

The intangible of my conversation with his dad suggests to me his son will be a level headed guy who understands the ups and especially the downs of the pro game and will cope - that doesn't make a guy a prospect but it's a good thing when there is anything to work with.

 

I'll leave it at that, he seems like a legitimate prospect. I'm having fun watching his progress.

[username]

any thoughts on my fielder - freeman trade?

 

i think going to texas will help fielder's numbers though it's not like he didn't have help around him in detroit. he's going on 30 which generally isn't too old for a 1B but i fear his age may show a bit earlier given his body type.

 

freeman is just entering his prime and should benefit from a good lineup for years to come.

 

didn't like giving up semien but he strikes me as a guy who will be better in real life than fantasy. tropeano is whatever.

 

brantly isn't much better than random waiver wire OF though he is only 26 so i guess there's at least some upside there.

[PseudoSABR]

I'm interested in Ben's thoughts. I think Fielder will benefit from Texas, though his career is probably bound to decline from here on out. Freeman is good value for an aging Fielder, though, I'm not sure he'll match Fielder's production over the next three years. The rest of the trade is Meh to me.

 

Maybe you're right that you'll find another window to contend in the next year or two by back-grading for younger players with promise, but I think you sold your winning-run short, and I question that you'll get to such heights again.

[kab21]

I actually think the Fielder/Freeman trade was brilliant. Mostly because of Brantley though. He's actually a solid player that is much more than waiver wire fodder.

[username]

I'm interested in Ben's thoughts. I think Fielder will benefit from Texas, though his career is probably bound to decline from here on out. Freeman is good value for an aging Fielder, though, I'm not sure he'll match Fielder's production over the next three years. The rest of the trade is Meh to me.

 

Maybe you're right that you'll find another window to contend in the next year or two by back-grading for younger players with promise, but I think you sold your winning-run short, and I question that you'll get to such heights again.

 

I think the main goal in this league (much like real-life MLB) is to just field a competitive team and hope for the best come playoffs. I've actually gone through this process before (back in year 2 I believe) where I swapped Tulowitzki, Holiday, Mariano, and Utley for Andrus, Upton, Marmol and Cano in separate trades. Maybe I just have an irrational fear of getting stuck with the oldies when the music stops, i.e., they retire.

 

Losing McCutcheon sucks obviously but I think OF is the easiest position to find value in this league. There's always some random guy floating around the waiver wire who will steal 25 bases and give you a decent season. Obviously can't replicate McCutcheon numbers, but the difference isn't as brutal as what you see at SP, where waiver wire guys don't even have rotation spots.

 

If there's one trade I could undo it would probably be Sabathia for Ray and Nelson. I personally love Ray and like Nelson so I think it will work itself out but I could've gotten more elsewhere.

[biggentleben]

I'd do Fielder for Freeman in this format every day of the week and twice on Sunday if I got Freeman. Freeman has shown at every single level that he adapts, then improves the second go-round. He's never been at a level for a third try, but his strikeout rate and walk rate each improved last season. His BABIP was high, but that has been normal with him and with his swing. I'd not be surprised if he settles in as a 100-walk, 120-K sort of guy over a full season, which is roughly what Prince was at his peak. I also think Freddie's a lot more athletic than people give him credit for, so he'll stay at 1B and his line drive swing will allow for high batting averages and solid power along the way as well.

[biggentleben]

I'm more than a little frustrated with switching providers midstream. February 15th is the start of the minor league portion of my other three leagues, so I didn't have time to devote to messing around with settings on a new provider. It should have been done immediately after the vote before the minor league draft was even held, so people had the chance to experience the format. Then to drop my players without sending me a personal email (because you need to set up email notifications on the site so I hadn't gotten any other notifications) was complete bull. I've already sent Tim my feelings on this, so I'm not saying anything I haven't said to him as well, but the leagues I'm commish or co-commish on, I go the extra mile to make sure I personally contact someone, not just rely on the website. It bugged me quite a bit to have the powers that be show that sort of laissez faire attitude toward owners who are putting up money to participate in the league.

[kab21]

I also didn't like how that was handled. It sucks for Tim because this league requires a lot of extra work. I guess he just assumed (and was pissed) that people were ignoring him.

 

I have spent most of my draft repicking the players that I wouldn't have dropped in the first place but whatever.

[biggentleben]

That's the problem. The guys I wouldn't have dropped were gone before I even got to pick. That's what bugged me the most.

[biggentleben]

So...any opinions on how my rebuild has been going? I have had some actual decent offers to ponder.

[PseudoSABR]

So...any opinions on how my rebuild has been going? I have had some actual decent offers to ponder.

Your team might be some what competitive, but I'm not sure it will contend for the playoffs. It seems you have one foot in being competitive and one in rebuilding. You have a lot of veterans that hopefully can be used to acquire future assets, as teams figure out how competitive they are.

[username]

The problem with trying to compete now (and partially the reason why I've started my rebuilding a bit earlier) is that DEM Grinders, Transparent Radiation, Billy Buck and the Shining have completely unloaded their prospects in order to win now. Their teams almost look like they belong in 10-team leagues.

[biggentleben]

Your team might be some what competitive, but I'm not sure it will contend for the playoffs. It seems you have one foot in being competitive and one in rebuilding. You have a lot of veterans that hopefully can be used to acquire future assets, as teams figure out how competitive they are.

 

That's why I've started to move off some long-term guys. Obviously Bruce, Wright, and Minor got quick attention, but I'm still getting offers on other as well.

[kab21]

I like the Wright trade, don't understand the Minor one and am indifferent on the Bruce one.

 

I think username is a sissy. those 4 teams aren't unstoppable.