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Subject: Gurupie 20 2013 Preseason Discussion
Posted by: Species
- Dude [07724916] Thu, Jan 31, 2013, 15:39
Greetings G20 comrades!! The calendar is about to turn over into February, pitchers and catchers are reporting pretty soon, so it is time to start preparations for another stellar G20 baseball season. We have a new prospect draft process to sort out so we need to begin getting our ducks in a row.
That starts with taking roll call as to your intentions of returning. Please check in with your intentions for this year.....throw out some trade fodder if you have any and let's do this. |
Only the 50 most recent replies are currently shown. Click on this text to display hidden posts as well.
[Lengthy or complex threads may require a slight delay before updating.] |
| 567 | Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 20, 2013, 21:58
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Trades have been processed.
That said, Draftime does not allow unbalanced trades. So Jaydog now owns 13.15 from BlueHen, and 14.19 from Slizz.
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| 568 | Ref
ID: 34731299
Wed, Mar 20, 2013, 22:00
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i was going to do the same thing you did. I have not put the trade in the rules for next ssn tho.
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| 569 | Slizz
ID: 36111511
Wed, Mar 20, 2013, 23:21
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Confirmed.
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| 570 | Species
ID: 271152305
Wed, Mar 20, 2013, 23:26
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Tosh and Ref.....thanks for stepping in. I am at the NCAA tourney all weekend.....golf......then traveling more later in the weekend. While I can manage my draft, that gives me zero time for Admin stuff/picking up players. Whatever help you can give is appreciated.
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| 571 | Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 20, 2013, 23:52
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I am basically gone all day Friday/Saturday/Sunday at my sister's wedding in California.
I'll likely be drafting via phone, and admin oversight from me will also be limited.
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| 572 | Ref
ID: 34731299
Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 13:12
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Hanley needs major surgery and is out at least 2 months. Been a fun season guys, Thanks for having me. My team just isn't good enough to overcome a major hit like this. At least I have another SS but my team is reeling.
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| 573 | Species
ID: 271152305
Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 15:11
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Cry me a river dude!! ( Teix, Granderson, W. Myers)
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| 574 | Slizz
ID: 36111511
Fri, Mar 22, 2013, 04:52
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Two words Ref: Yasiel Puig.
He will be a guy who will be selected in the first in 10 team mixed leagues in a couple years.
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| 575 | Ref
ID: 34731299
Fri, Mar 22, 2013, 09:47
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LOL Species. You knew what you were getting even at Keeper time. All I am saying is that my team is not good enough to compete. Several teams are loaded enough that they can just dust it off. Fzcts are facts. No crying here.
Slizz, just a couple days ago, Puig and Bradley and ZERO chance to make the team. Now both are at least 50/50. They both are good enough to start right now and contribute. Puig could start in left instead of a right handed platoon with Ethier in RF while Crawford is still on the mend and Bradley could man the CF job in Boston as they expected by May anyhow. Of course I have 6 OFs already now. Just messes your draft up when things change so abruptly like this.
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| 576 | blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Fri, Mar 22, 2013, 10:09
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True, Hanley Ramirez has been the picture of health and stability.
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| 577 | youngroman
ID: 3913664
Fri, Mar 22, 2013, 10:25
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my draft is done. I am not able to pick up any more players because of the 2 prospects I called up. To not hold things up I loaded my queue for the last 2 rounds:
- in my 13th round queue is a player that is not expected to play this season.
- in my 14th round queue is my prospect Noah Syndergaard.
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| 578 | Nerfherders
ID: 161121811
Fri, Mar 22, 2013, 11:17
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I forgot about that. I won't need my 14th pick.
I'll queue it up.
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| 579 | Nerfherders
ID: 161121811
Fri, Mar 22, 2013, 11:39
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Now I'm confused. There are 24 roster spots, but we only keep/draft 23. Is this right? Is it intended that we pick up the last bench slot as an FA? If I called up a prospect before the draft, can I use my last pick?
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| 580 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 22, 2013, 17:34
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There should only be 23 slots once the season starts. I don't know why it's set at 24 now.
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| 581 | blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Fri, Mar 22, 2013, 17:45
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My draft is done. We made great time this year - thank you all.
Pretty happy with my draft, even though I took three catchers. Not sure where the Anthony Rizzo or Chris Sale of 2013 are going to come from, but have really high hopes for Tommy Hanson, Everth Cabrera, and Yasmani Grandal.
As always, Species and Toral continued to impress me with their drafts. There's a reason they are always near the top, even when they aren't.
I think I filled most of my open spots, but would love to make a deal if you see something that works. Good luck this year!
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| 582 | Species
ID: 271152305
Fri, Mar 22, 2013, 17:50
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580: oooops. That is wrong obviously. Will see if I can fix this via phone
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| 583 | Nerfherders
ID: 1511182416
Fri, Mar 22, 2013, 20:04
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Thanks for clarifying. I put a useless player in the queue for my pick.
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| 584 | Toral
ID: 424462011
Sat, Mar 23, 2013, 10:27
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Like the spec pick on Brian Wilson.
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| 585 | Judy
ID: 54203110
Sat, Mar 23, 2013, 23:37
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I actually thought about it too...
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| 586 | Judy
ID: 54203110
Sat, Mar 23, 2013, 23:38
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...especially since my projected save total is a zero (0).
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| 587 | Slizz
ID: 49611114
Sun, Mar 24, 2013, 10:51
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2013 DRAFT DIARY
I always enjoy writing these, so here it goes. As everyone who participates in this league knows, I had arguably the worst team with respect to keepers. My goal towards the end of last season / off-season was to rid myself of the stale players that had me toiling in mediocrity since I inherited this team 3 seasons ago. Mission accomplished. I got rid of every single keeper from last season via dropping them or trading them. I fully recognize that I posses some “questionable” keepers, but think in 2014 I should be fine.
KEEPERS
1. Justin Morneau, 1B, MIN - Justin Morneau makes $14mil a year and is in a contract season. My hope is Morneau plays his tail off to parlay it into another 8 figure contract (something like 3 years / $36 million).
2. Dustin Ackley, 2B, SEA - To quote a 2011 article from Tristan Cockroft: Long term, Ackley has All-Star potential, though at the same time such a statement shouldn't confused with "All-Star potential at first base," which is a vastly different thing. An All-Star at second base might mean a .300 batting average, 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases, but that's still an extremely valuable asset for a player only 23 years old today. I might not even buy in fully in 2012; but come 2013, perhaps we can talk about the Ackley breakthrough. Why not? I think Ackley has the peripherals to be a 15/15 guy with tons of upside due to his age. I think this year I will endure some heartburn with him, but the guy has succeeded on every level and I think he should take that step forward and continue improving in 2013.
3. Todd Frazier, 3B, CIN - Without any uptick in skills or luck, he should get AT LEAST 25 home runs based on last seasons #’s. I am bullish on Frazier and think he will clear 30 making him a guy who is a “must keep” in 2014.
4. Dee Gordon, SS, LAD - This one is more personal as he was my first prospect ever drafted in G20. I want to see him make it in the show. Only thing that keeps me holding on is his speed at a position where its OK not to have power. If I can get 50 SB at SS, that’s a huge asset as it won’t take me away from power in other areas.
5. Cameron Maybin, OF, SD - When I traded for him last year, I realized that I was buying low. This article does a better argument than I could for the guy: Cameron Maybin Breakout
6. Darin Ruf, OF, PHI - the guy can mash in the minors…was hoping we’d get to see if he could do it in the show. He’s not someone who typically should get kept, but I couldn’t risk losing him to the prospect draft as he had not met the minimum at bats yet. Since we now host the prospect draft prior to the regular season and supplemental draft, it was either keep Ruf or A.J. Burnett. Don’t get me wrong, whoever has A.J. Burnett is going to get a guy who is money in a contract year, but he didn’t fit my teams profile going forward…Ruf did.
7. Jonathon Niese, SP, NYM - Last season, he cut his ERA by a full run without changing anything with respect to his velocity or mechanics. He just turned 26 and should develop into one of the better fantasy pitchers in G20. While he won’t be the best of the keepers, but he will be someone who is arguably could be kept on just about every squad.
8. Jarrod Parker, SP, OAK - Parker’s velocity routinely cracks 95 mph and best of all, his velocity peaked in September. Combine that fastball with a filthy change up and pitching in Oakland makes him a prime keeper going forward
9. Addison Reed, RP, CHW - The blue hen special. Toral had a solid offer on the table 5.01 in exchange for Huston Street and his 10th. I worked a fair trade with BH to acquire a guy whose K/9, career was 12, until 2012. I’m hoping that the late season swoon was an aberration (post 45 innings in the show) as I was paying for future performance as the new closer on The Island….
PROSPECTS
Anthony Rendon, 3B, WSH
Jose Fernandez, SP, MIA
Carlos Correa, SS, HOU
Bubba Starling, OF, KC
The farm is loaded and primed to make an impact in 2014/15. I’m really excited to see if Bubba Starling develops into one of the games better players as he has the tools to be better than everyone else on my team. Can he put it together? That’s the question.
Draft Objective: Complete roster overhaul and find 9 bona fide keepers for the 2014 season while competing to be in the top half of the league in 2013.
My first year in the league (2010) I overachieved finishing among the top 5 due to a stellar pitching staff and good bets on starting pitching (Jair Jurrjens with his big first half, Ricky Romero before he “broke out”, Gio Gonzalez as a late round steal, Ubaldo Jimenez before he stunk, Clay Buchholz before he imploded, etc.). Additionally, I was able to pickup guys like Manny Corpas to vulture some saves, which helped me finish at the top of the standings in almost every pitching category.
Utilizing this strategy, I figured I could achieve the second part of my draft objective (finishing in the top half of the league) by generating alpha in the pitching. If I catch a break in ERA and WHIP, my K/9 and W should be there. Going into the draft, PD and I scripted what the first 6 rounds would look like for us:
Round 1 - Jeremy Hellickson - Potential 2014 keeper arm
Round 2 - Logan Morrison - Potential 2014 keeper bat
Round 3 - Domonic Brown - Potential 2014 keeper bat
Round 4 - Traded to BH
Round 5 - Rick Porcello / Ross Detwiler
Round 6 - Ross Detwiler / Rick Porcello
Nevertheless, here is my pick by pick analysis:
1.04 - Jeremy Hellickson, SP, TB: My knee jerk reaction post keepers was to select Jeremy Hellickson with the pick. I tried to find a way to get him on to my squad via trade with WG, but I just couldn’t part with my other guys…including Ruf.
Nevertheless, I constructed a board of three players, in this order:
1) Altuve
2) Perkins (due to trade bait and he will keep me competitive in Saves)
3) Hellickson
After discussing with PD, we figured Altuve would be gone at #2 due to the fact he
A) is keeper quality, and;
B) Nerfherders had a need at 2B.
Perkins was the fallback option on Hellickson as I didn’t see AA taking a closer with the first pick. Now if those 3 were selected, I probably would’ve went Jake Peavy…
This was a safe pick. Hellickson is not an overpowering K-machine…but he is an effective pitcher. Consistently under 3.50 ERA, doesn’t walk a ton of hitters, and should get me about 7k/9. I’m hoping for a little more than 10 W’s though!
\
2.01 - Logan Morrison, 1B/OF, MIA: I’m banking on a bounce back year for him. He has the pedigree and potential for a .280 / 30 HR season with a decent OB% as evidenced by his 2011 #’s. He won’t have to work as hard on defense as he is not longer patrolling the outfield. That said, I am hoping he does not turn out to be Johnny Gomes (another player who flashed greatness in his first season up in the show…only to toil in mediocrity for the remainder of his career). We know he has a sweet swing…hopefully he can put it all together for a full year.
3.01 - Domonic Brown, OF, PHI: This is someone who I would’ve selected in the fourth round had I had a pick, but I felt it was good to reach for him in the third round rather than not have him at all. It was only in 2010 when this guy was the #1 prospect in all of Major League Baseball. He went from the most hyped up and comer to a post-hype sleeper in three years. Now that he has an everyday job for the Phils, I think we will get to see some of that potential that made him the 2010 #1 overall player. Additionally, listening to 97.5 The Fanatic all day, I hear how much this guy had been ripping the cover off of the ball. If he can put it together, I can get a 30/30 type guy and a keeper in the third round. Sure there is tons of risk, but I am hoping that he finally cashes on that potential.
5.01 - Rick Porcello, SP, DET: Another pick that could’ve been deemed a reach. Porcello is someone who is fighting for a 5th spot in a rotation. Why pick this guy when there is plenty of other talent out there?
First, he fits our team’s M.O. Young pitcher, tons of upside…
1) He’s only 24!
2) He already has 3 full seasons of big league experience.
3) He improved his strikeout rate from 12.0%, to 13.3%, and to 13.7%, in each season.
4) His ground ball rate was 53.2%…among the best in the bigs!
5) His fastball velocity increased by 2 mph last year, which bodes well for his long-term development.
Those stats, combined with the torrid spring he is having made this an ideological pick for Ricky P!
6.01 - James McDonald, SP, PIT: I hate this pick. I had Ross Detwiler queued up to go and he was taken from me by darkside. I was left scrambling after that as I did not think Detwiler would be selected prior to the 6th. The pick ultimately came down to Michael Fiers or James McDonald.
McDonald was a tale of two seasons: First half of the season, he was mentioned as a Cy Young candidate. Second half of the season, he was a guy who you didn’t want on your roster.
McDonald’s 2011 and 2012 look nearly identical…however, after his 122 pitch performance vs. the Twins, his stuff seemed to take a nosedive. His average velocity was down by nearly 2 mph and he stopped going as deep into games. I’m hoping that he has somewhat of a bounce back year and is more in the mold of a pitcher from the first half, rather than the second.
Why chose him over Fiers? 1.3 WARP vs. 1.2 WARP.\
8.01 - Cliff Pennington, SS, ARI: I think he is an undervalued SS as his #’s suffered in Oakland. I think the former first round pick improves significantly and gives me a solid starter at 2B/SS.
9.01 - Michael Brantley, OF, CLE: Seemed to be the only guy left who is guaranteed to get at least 500 AB. I figure he has some upside to get 10+ HR and is a lock for 15-20 SB. He did have one month where he posted a 1,000 OPS…I’m hoping he can consistently get that # in the 800-900 range to make for a solid fantasy outfielder…but I’m not holding my breath.
9.16 - Wilson Ramos, C, WSH: Did not want to lose another National (Detwiler) to darkside. Knowing BH and DS needed a catcher, I got in touch with Ref to see if he would be willing to move this pick and slide down 4 spots to 10.01. Ref accepted and I got my catcher. He was a top 10 catcher before his injury…I’m hoping he can return to his pre-injury form on a World Series contender. Ironically, 17 and 18 went Catcher so this gamble proved to be a good one.
11.01 - Lucas Harrell, SP, HOU: Sleeper pick I’ve been reading a lot of good things about. Won’t get me a ton of W’s…but has a good K/9 and should keep the ERA low. I know the Cardinals are looking to trade for him…hopefully that happens.
11.19 - Phil Coke, RP, DET: Hope he’s closer…if not, he’s the first one cut.
12.01 - Rex Brothers, RP, COL: I don’t see Betancourt as the long term answer in Colorado. Brothers boasts a vicious K/9 and could vulture some saves.
12.18 - Junichi Tazawa, RP, BOS: Should be the first to close if Hanrahan doesn’t get it done. You heard it here first! To be honest, I don’t think any Boston closer is that great…if they were GO would’ve scooped them up.
14.01 - Nathan Eovaldi, SP, MIA: His fastball can hit 98 mph and he was the centerpiece of the Hanley Ramirez deal. At this point, its just throwing stuff against the wall and seeing what sticks.
14.16 - Greg Dobbs: I can’t live in a world where Greg Dobbs doesn’t get drafted. This pick is actually Tyler Skaggs as he was called up.
Picks I loved (gonna try to limit it to one per round!):
The first round has so much to love…so there really are no bad picks here, but one sticks out:
1.20 - Steve Cishek: MLB Network did a special on him after the loss to the Dominican Republic on how good his stuff was. The rich get richer with this pick.
2.17 - Matt Carpenter: That was before he was named the starting 2nd Baseman. He will be a multi-position player and solid starter.
3.10 - Trevor Cahill: Improved his K/9 in each season he’s been in the show.
3.11 - A.J. Burnett: Solid pick for R9. He lowered his Standard Deviation with veteran picks and has made a seat for himself at the big boys table.
3.20 - Carl Crawford: Great low risk pick that could pay dividends…same with Werth in the next round.
4.02 - Tommy Milone: Oakland Pitchers = Fantasy $$$. Blue Hen with a steal in this round
4.17 - Everth Cabrera: Someone who should have went way earlier. Was surprised a guy like him was still around!
5.12 - Clay Buchholz: Got a soft spot for Clay…has been with my team since the beginning.
6.18 - Yonder Alonso: Regardless of the Biogenesis rumors…Tosh gets a guy who could be a 2014 Keeper with this selection.
7.04 - Brandon Beachy: Even if he has to wait…the guy showed he has Cy Young stuff when healthy.
8.05 - Michael Pineda: Tremendous upside and keeper potential.
9.06 - Tyler Colvin: Was someone I considered (key word…considered) in the third if Domonic Brown was kept. Great value!
10.01 - Brennan Boesch: I know he let me down last year…but with that short left field in Yankee Stadium…he is gonna get a decent ROI for Ref.
10.05 - Ubaldo Jimenez: At this point in the draft, he gets a guy who could be a #1 starter…not a bad trading chip to have. Worst case, he cuts him.
10.19 - Dan Straily: Oakland Pitchers…and the minor league strikeout king!
11.16 - Ricky Nolasco: Like Ubaldo Jimenez…Opening Day starter for the Marlins and a guy who will yield a greater ROI than where he was drafted. His stuff isn’t what it used to be, but he is still an effective pitcher.
12.07 - Travis Snider: Ladies and Gentlemen…he is only 24! Judy got a guy with massive upside potential and a bat that could still be elite. I liken him to Anthony Rizzo…someone who tore up minor league pitching but was slow to develop in the show. Great pick by Judy.
12.12 - Cory Luebke: Before Tommy John, was considered to be a Cy Young candidate. GO is going to reap the benefits on this one and he might even figure to be a keeper.
13.02 - Andy Dirks: If he can hold off Nick Castellanos…he will get tons of at bats on a World Series contender.
14.05 - Brian Wilson: Wish I thought of that instead of picking crappy Eovaldi.
And good luck to all in 2013! Look forward to competing with you all.
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| 588 | Judy
ID: 54203110
Sun, Mar 24, 2013, 12:49
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When do waivers begin?
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| 589 | Species
ID: 271152305
Mon, Mar 25, 2013, 00:14
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Absolutely awesome breakdown Slizz. Great stuff!!
Judy: I am out of town. So is Tosh. We haven't had the time toreview rosters and get waivers turned on. Bear with us. Until waivers run, THERE ATLRE NO PICKUPS. Any pickups will be reversed
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| 590 | Ref
ID: 34731299
Mon, Mar 25, 2013, 10:51
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Good stuff Slizz. I am home today but digging out of a snowstorm. Still snowing. I might be able to help a little get things going. Need to get waivers going before season starts, obviously.
Great write up Slizz!
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| 591 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 25, 2013, 12:02
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Are we going to be able to reset bench slots to 8 (currently at 9)? It doesn't look like it - which means we'll need to wipe out all rosters and reload from scratch.
Don't know if that was always the plan - although I didn't think so.
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| 592 | Ref
ID: 34731299
Mon, Mar 25, 2013, 13:28
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Yes. Have to start all over.
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| 593 | allhair allstars
ID: 422382517
Mon, Mar 25, 2013, 18:42
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Checked in to talk aboht finally getting some good news (Lohse finally signing) and read the post about resetting the rosters. Sucks. This too shall pass.
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| 594 | R9
ID: 99272420
Mon, Mar 25, 2013, 20:54
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Awesome Slizz! Everyone should make a recap when they get a chance.
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| 595 | Judy
ID: 54203110
Mon, Mar 25, 2013, 21:06
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588 Slizz
Did not mean to rush, just curious....
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| 596 | Judy
ID: 54203110
Mon, Mar 25, 2013, 21:08
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BTW-- I cannot believe I let Dom slip to you. Just assumed someone had him or he would have been my #1 pick. C**p!
And you have Ruf too!
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| 597 | bh@det
ID: 62472521
Mon, Mar 25, 2013, 22:47
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Pretty happy with my own pick but seems fun to pick one other pick, per round, that I liked.
Round 1: Love that R9 managed to get both Jansen and League. It did take two first rounders to make it happen, but there is some serious value there.
Round 2: Nick Markakis. This guy was pretty untouchable until very recently. Good chance he is kept next year.
Round 3: Trevor Cahill. He was once on par with Brett Anderson, and I think he'll recapture the magic this year, increasing his strikeouts and keeping his ratios good.
Round 4: (tie) Jose Veras and Felix Doubront. Veras should get good closer value this late, and Doubront is very underrated with the strikeouts.
Round 5: Jayson Werth. He's so stable, and that's so rare this late in the draft. I would have taken him much earlier if I had any spots.
Round 6: Yonder Alonso could be the Anthony Rizzo of this year, being an obvious keeper next year.
Round 7: Luke Gregerson. Especially if you have Huston Street.
Round 8: Bud Norris, alhough this was a pretty weak round.
Round 9: Vance Worley. I think he could bust out this year in a new park, with a new lease on life.
Round 10: Ubaldo Jimenez. He's the perfect G20 risk. What if he dominates again? It could happen.
Round 11: Ivan Nova. Not quite the upside of Ubaldo, but more likely to get there.
Round 12: Mitchell Boggs. Although my own bias says Rosenthal should close.
Round 13: Scott Kazmir, by default.
Round 14: Lots of good sleepers in this round, but WG getting Mesoraco and Smyly was pretty impressive
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| 598 | Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 03:16
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I have now re-entered all the players so that we can process waivers and start the season correctly.
- I have not 'started' the season. I will let Species go ahead and decide when to push that final button.
- All non-keeper players are still on the available players page, but all drafted players now appear on your rosters. PLEASE GO TO YOUR TEAM PAGE AND CHECK MY ACCURACY.
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| 599 | Ref
ID: 34731299
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 11:02
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Great job Tosh!
Well my SS and 3B are now on the DL. I drafted three OFs in Duda, Boesch and Young that I may be interested in trading. I like all three of them, obviously. Neither of my DLs guys will be out for a long time, (Freese by April 8 and Hanley by end of May) so I don't want to screw up my team long term but do want to see what's out there.
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| 600 | Species
ID: 271152305
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 11:49
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Tosh....you are the $*^$&@ man. Thank you for dojng that and correcting my egregious error. Sooooo sorry about that. There is so much to do in getting this league going that it is hard to not miss something....just sucks that it was something that big.
I will give things a once-over tonight and press "the button".
Love the write-ups, favorite picks and other analysis.
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| 601 | jaydog
ID: 312451110
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 12:41
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Only mistake I see is that my trade for Ian Desmond and Mariano Rivera is not accounted for. My final two picks (Conger and Nieuwenhuis) were just placeholders and should not be on my roster, their spots should be for Desmond and Rivera. Other than that, everything looks good... thanks for doing the grunt work here!
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| 602 | jaydog
ID: 312451110
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 13:54
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Thanks for starting the recap's Slizz... interesting reading, I'll throw mine in the ring.
After narrowly missing the title last year, and realizing that I had a very solid stable of keepers coming back I decided I'm in win now mode.
Keepers
C: Yadier Molina - One of the top 3-5 catchers in the game. Picked him early in the supplemental draft last year, and hope to ride his production for years to come.
1B: Joey Votto - 'Nuf said. His OBP makes him one of the best players in this format and covers some of my other hitters flaws. His injury last year (and having to replace him w/ Smoak) may have cost me the title.
2B: Brandon Phillips - I've always felt Phillips was overrated, and his mediocre OBP hurts a bit, but there's no arguing with his above average production in everything but OBP.
3B: Aramis Ramirez - Even with his slow start last year, he put up the consistent strong numbers I've gotten used to with him. On the downslope of his career, but will hopefully squeeze one (or two) more years out of him.
OF: Josh Hamilton - Fingers crossed that he can stay out of his own way, and that the park at Anaheim doesn't zap some of his power.
OF: Jay Bruce - OBP was disappointing last year, but power was there. Hopefully his OBP raises back to his historical norm, and we haven't seen his power peak yet. Upside of a top 5 OF.
SP: Johnny Cueto - Can't assume he'll repeat his ratio's of last year, but still a guy that has to be kept.
SP: Matt Cain - My trade of Adrian Gonzalez for Matt Cain a few years back has certainly paid dividends and hope it continues to.
RP: Fernando Rodney - I went into last season without a closer and it paid off for me. I can't expect Rodney to duplicate 2012, but even 80% of 2012 makes him a top 3 closer. I'll go into the season with him, and see about adding other closers in the draft.
PROSPECT SP: Matt Harvey - Not having to use a keeper on Matt Harvey could end up to be huge. Harvey is a big K guy (which is nice because Cueto isn't) and could put up very solid numbers in a big ballpark in a mediocre division. Ive fielded many trade offers for Harvey, but I think there's too much upside to cut bait.
Pre Draft
After keeper declaration I had holes at SS, a 3rd OF, and rounding out my staff. This is my first year in the league not keeping Jeter, so finding a SS was a scary proposition.
I (unfortunately) could not keep Jarrod Parker, and surprisingly couldn't get anything other than a 7th round pick for him. I love Parker, but it was clear to everyone that he didn't fit on my team, and with no leverage I had to take the best offer I could get.
I was also stuck with Jedd Gyorko as a prospect. It was sounding like he was going to open the year as the starter in SD, meaning that I was going to have to make a decision next year about whether to keep him or not. Already set at 2B (Phillips), I didn't want to run the risk of Gyorko disappointing this year, and having to drop him w/ little to no compensation (like Parker). I was able to get a 3rd and 4th round pick for him this year. If he delivers on his potential this year, it will be a steal for whoever traded for him, but I took the sure thing, rather than the unknown and think I got a decent haul.
My last Pre Draft trade was the blockbuster. Species had some prospect SS's coming up which made Ian Desmond expendable. I've never loved Desmond due to his awful plate discipline, but his counting stats are certainly elite for a SS. Species had asked for Sano, and while I love Sano's potential, potential doesn't help me now and he's still a few years away. Given my "Win Now" mode, it made sense to work a deal. Seeing that Species also had Mariano Rivera allowed me to grow the deal a bit. Rivera (if healthy) gives me a 2nd top tier closer to pair w/ Rodney. The deal worked out to be Desmond and Riviera for two 2015 picks and a prospect pick. Yes, I gave up a lot, but if I win it all this year it will be worth it, and even if I don't, Desmond could be my SS for years to come.
Going into the draft, I was fortunate enough to already have 12 players (9 keepers plus Harvey, Desmond, and Riveira). I still needed a 3rd starting OF and Utility bat. I was hoping to get a 3rd closer to give me a big leg up in that category (and possibly some trading leverage) as well as find players that filled 2013 needs. Given that my keepers are set for next year (unless I have several catestrophic injuries), my picks were going to be less sexy than most, but will hopefully end up filling needs that gets me into the league title picture. With that being said, here were my selections:
Draft
1.19 - Rafael Betancourt, RP, COL: Wanted to get a closer here and was excited when there were a few left on the board. Already having Rivera and Rodney means that a third closer should put me towards the top of the saves category (health and performance assuming). I was between Betancourt and Cishek here, and felt that Betancourts track record trumped Cishek's youth. Always a risk Betancourt gets traded at the deadline, so I'll do by best to handcuff him later, but assuming he's a closer for the full year, should give me 30+ saves while providing positive contributions in the ratio stats.
2.19 - Torii Hunter, OF, DET: Definitely not a sexy pick, but fits my team needs very well. He's coming off a very good season and figures to bat towards the top of a stacked lineup in Detroit. With an older player, there's always the chance that his production drops off, but even dropping slightly off of last years numbers would still provide a very servicable 3rd OF. My team definitely needs speed, but all of the speedsters left have gaping holes in other categories, and I feel like I should be able to snag someone later in the draft.
3.18 - Wandy Rodriguez, SP, PIT: With the first of my picks that I received for Gyorko I went with Wandy. While another "non sexy" (sensing a theme here) pick, Wandy quietly put together a very good season last year. His walk rates have been in check the last few seasons, and while his K rate isn't what it used to be, it's still above average for a 4th starting pitcher with good ratio's.
3.19 - Juan Pierre, OF, FLA: Looking at my stat distribution, speed is clearly my weak spot. Looking at the burners available, they were all mostly one or two category producers where I feel Pierre could help me in runs (batting leadoff), OBP (has never been great due to his low walk rate, but always hits for a decent average), and of course Steals. My other options here were Evereth Cabrera (less opportunity to play in my lineup with Desmond playing every day), Starling Marte (higher ceiling but also lower floor), and so on. While Pierre may not have the talent of several players left on the board, he fits my team needs especially well and as a 4th OF, I should have plenty of opportunities to get his speed in the lineup.
4.18 - Phil Hughes, SP, NYY: Having filled all of my offensive starters, time to look at the rotation. I needed a 5th starter, and Hughes seemed to stick out on my rankings. He's never been great, but also has been very servicible (was my 5th starter last year). He's a free agent next season, so hopefully this is the year he puts it all together as he prepares for his first real payday. As a 3rd starter, I don't like Hughes as much, but as my 5th, I love the risk/reward. That makes it Wandy Rodriguez and Phil Hughes for Jedd Gyorko. On paper doesn't look that good, but considering I was going to have a tough time keeping Gyorko after this season anways, I'll take two proven starters over an unknown prospect.
5.19 - Ryan Cook, RP, OAK: On to the bullpen. There were seveal guys I liked with this pick. Alburquerque was on the top of my queue, but was nabbed by blue hen (ARGG). Ryan Cook was my consolation prize. Was fantastic last season and should help boost my ratio's while putting up a good K rate. While he struggled last year as a closer, he's probably still next in line should something happen to the oft injured Balfour.
6.19 - Jeff Keppinger, INF, CHI: Having 5 starters and 4 relievers, I still had a few more pitchers to grab but none them jumped out at me here. Looking at Keppinger, his production probably doesn't warrant a 6th round pick, but his versatility fits my team needs very well. I can swap him in all over the infield (except SS) and he could up very respectable numbers playing every day in Chicago (great hitters park).
7.01 - Emilio Bonafacio, OF, TOR: This will be my third year in a row with Bonafacio on my team. Losing his IF eligibility definitely stunts his value, but I'm hopeful that he'll at least get his 2B eligibility back by mid season. My team could still use a boost in steals, and Bonafacio certainly delivers that while posting a respectable OBP. I thought this was one of my better value picks of the drafts. If Bonafacio plays 130 games while gaining his IF eligibility, he could be a steal, and someone I may be able to trade for future picks next season. While the trade of Jarrod Parker only netting me Bonafacio makes me a bit sick to my stomach, I was glad I could get someone servicible that should help me compete this year lessens the sting a bit.
7.19 - Ervin Santana, SP, KAN: Having finished my offense, it was time to round out my staff. I have 5 starters and 4 relievers. I lost out on drafting Rivera's handcuff (D. Robertson), and neither Rodney's (McGee, Farnsworth, Peralta) or Betancourt's (Brothers, Belisle, W. Lopez) were sure things, so I figured I'd get another starter. I had my eye on Edinson Volquez all draft with the intention of pitching him exclusively in his home starts. That's what I did last year, and really enjoyed his sub 3 ERA splits at home with a high K rate. I was hoping that fact would slip through the cracks (should have known better) and missed him by one pick. No one jumped off of the page otherwise, so I went with the bounceback candidate E. Santana. Outside of his putrid 2012, Santana has always been consistently solid and healthy. Most advanced metrics also seem to indicate that last year was more bad luck than anything else, so I'm hopeful he can regain his servicible mediocrety in KC. Santana has had a very good spring, and at a minimum he should provide me with a decent # of K's, and pitching in one of the weaker offensive divisions in baseball (can't wait for those Houston starts) should help to keep his ratio's solid. Not much upside here, and he could always prove that last year is his new normal, but as a 6th starter, I think he's a solid choice.
8.19 - Miguel Gonzalez, SP, BAL: I still needed a 5th reliever, but felt that there were ample opportunities to grab one with my last pick. Figured with my second to last selection, I'd take a 7th starting pitcher giving me the opportunities to play matchups, with the upside to deploy every 5 days. Miguel Gonzalez fit that bill quite well. Offense should be way down in the AL East (Tampa, NYY, and BOS all have fairly weak lineups), and Gonzalez is relatively young and provided very respectable statistics last year. I think there's a chance he's very servicible for me, and if he doesn't pan out, I can deploy him based on matchup, or drop him.
9.10 - Wilton Lopez, RP, COL: To finish out my draft I wanted to get a 5th reliever that had the chance to handcuff one of my closers while at the same time providing servicible statistics even when not closing. I was looking at Tampa and Colorado. Jake McGee was first on my list due to his high K rate, but he went a round earlier. Kyle Farnsworth was a potential hancuff candidate, but I didn't like his statistical distribution, and Joel Peralta was another possiblity in Tampa. For Colorado, it was between Wilton Lopez and Rex Brothers. While Brothers probably has stuff that more resembles a closer, he's struggled with his control, and I worry that he'd negatively affect my WHIP while in a middle relief role. Wilton Lopez, on the other hand, has always had a tremendous walk rate, which should serve him well in Coors. The decision came down to Lopez vs. Peralta and I went with Lopez due to his strong walk rate and chance of closing should Betancourt be traded. I'll be bummed if Brothers get's the first crack, but my team WHIP will be appreciative of not having him walk the world while I wait for that to potentially happen.
So thats my draft. Won't win any awards for drafting any "sleepers" or high upside guys, but that wasn't my goal. I think/hope I did a good job of plugging holes... we'll see!
My favorite picks round by round:
1.06, Andrelton Simmons. May not pay dividends this season, but has a good chance at beeing a keeper quality SS for many years to come.
2.09, Melky Cabrera. I would have loved Cabrera in the 2nd round. Even if his stats still do come down to earth a bit off of PED's, his value should be off the charts here.
3.13, Ryan Madson. Yes he's injured, but assuming he gets the closers role in May, his numbers could still rival the closers drafted two rounds earlier (or kept).
4.13, Hisashi Iwakuma. Fantastic numbers as a starter last year. His less fanstic numbers as a reliever dragged his overall stats down, but if he can approach his starter output this year he could be a great bargain.
5.10, Ryan Ludwick. Looking back on it, I would have much prefered Ludwick in the 5th to Torii Hunter in the 2nd. To get a starting OF w/ 30HR/100RBI potential this late in the draft is huge.
6.04, Michael Saunders. See above with slightly less HR potential, but added steals benefits. I watched this guy rake in the WBC and he could be poised for a big year. Fences coming in at Safeco could help w/ the power #'s.
7.18, Edinson Volquez. If you only start him at home, he's a top 30 pitcher.
8.16, Lucas Duda. Huge power potential, just waiting to see him put it together. There's a lot of upside in that bat, especailly for the 8th round.
9.19/20, Grandal/Jaso. The Grandal/Jaso pair should give BH a top 10 catcher. Grandal was fantastic last year (hopefully not PED fueled) and Jaso will hold down the fort on OBP until Grandal comes back. Very shrewed.
Honestly, I stopped paying attention after the 9th round since my draft was over.
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| 603 | Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 15:28
|
Jaydog [601] - THANKS. It took over two hours to re-enter the names. I caught all the promoted prospects, but missed that early trade.
As it turns out, I am UNABLE to process that trade until the season is activated. The keepers were frozen in place, and cannot be transferred using the ESPN draft tool.
Conger and Nieuwenhuis have been removed from Jaydog's team [now currently at 21 players]. Species still has 23 players.
As soon as Species 'starts' the league, he can process the trade, then place waiver claims on his final two players.
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| 604 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 15:49
|
Dues time again!
Contributions to the prize pool will again be $15 per head. All returning members of the league are participants in the prize pool, and are required to contribute each year. As a first year participant, WG can join this year, or he can skip this year and defer his decision until 2014.
In addition to the prize pool, we collect dues each year to cover league hosting costs and a trophy. Since we are no longer paying a hosting fee to CBS, we are assessing only $2 per head for dues this year. This pays for the draft at Draftime, and also for a trophy to be purchased at the end of the season for the winner.
So, the total amount to be paid is $17. If you are sending this via Paypal, please send it to davehall@rotoguru2.com, and designate it as a Personal Transfer - payment owed. This should eliminate any fees charged. In the message simply say G20 dues.
If you are sending by check, please email me and Ill provide the mailing address.
Species, Blue Hen, Darkside, Toral, Jaydog, Youngroman, and BMD have enough money on account to cover the payment, so they owe nothing.
Rogue9 has $8.50 on account, so he owes only $8.50. Ref has $5 on account, so he owes only $12.
I believe everyone else owes the full $17. If you think you have funds on account that I may have overlooked, please ask.
Please send in your dues payment as soon as possible. I'll also send this out through the ESPN email system, but it always seems like some managers don't receive those emails.
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| 605 | Nerfherders
ID: 161121811
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 19:05
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2013 Preseason Thoughts
I love doing this kind of stuff so I hope you indulge me.
Going into the preseason I had alot of choices to make. I had alot of good RBI guys on offense, and yet my offense wasn't very good last year. I had to decide which to keep and which to toss back. I think I made the right decisions on LaRoche, Werth, and Ethier. Keeping Hart was also a tough decision, considering his injury, but I'm thinking more long term than just this year, and in the long run, he will be better than the three veterans I released. Pitching last year was actually not too bad, but the pitchers themselves were largely uninspiring. I thought Beckett was done as a top tier pitcher so he's gone. Bailey shined last year so he was worth giving a chance to. The third spot was Frieri's until Axford fell into my lap - well worth a 5th round pick IMO. Frieri is now more valuable than when I had to make that decision, but probably not keeper quality.
Keepers:
C - Victor Martinez - Got him at the end of the supp draft last year with the intention to keep him this year. The plan is working so far as he's back *and* retained his C status.
1B - Ike Davis - I was soured on him for most of the year, but he somehow put up a good power season. LaRoche was better but the upside was all with Davis, so he's my 1B.
3B - Pedro Alvarez - This was another tough decision. He broke out last year and is still young enough to keep it going. It's amazing how far he's come in just a year. I snagged him at the end of the draft last year to back up Scott Rolen. Yeesh.
OF - Josh Willingham - The easiest keeper decision to make on my team. Was outstanding.
OF - Ben Revere - The only SB guy on my team last year. He doesn't do much else though so he's only valuable for those steals. He's going to have some help in this category this year.
OF - Corey Hart - I kept him despite his injury. Nice solid slugger, and doesn't seem to be declining with age.
SP - James Shields - The other easy decision. He started out kind of slow last year but picked up down the stretch. Not the ideal #1 SP but he's okay.
SP - Homer Bailey - Deserves another chance on this team after a breakout 2012. Let's see if he can sustain it.
RP - John Axford - A preseason trade that gets me some much needed saves.
Gone from the keepers of last year are Ethier, Beckett, Sergio Santos, Ryan Roberts, and Colby Lewis.
I decided to call up Jacob Turner because I liked the available prospects and my draft position. I figured Turner would at least be a servicable starter this year. It looks like he's going back to the minors to start the season but this is the Marlins we are talking about. He'll be back.
Prospect Draft - Jameson Taillon - I was a bit surprised he was available in the draft. This was a pretty easy pick, and it happened to coincide with a strong outing against the USA in the WBC.
Arenado might get called up this year. It looks like he is going to have less power than originally projected, but nonetheless a good hitter. Buxton was the best talent of last year's draft, is still young and fairly far away from the bigs yet.
Supplemental Draft:
The goal for this draft was to find a speedy MI for one of my MI spots, and draft pitching pitching pitching. You can never seem to have enough in this league.
1.02 - Jose Altuve. I checked, re-checked, and triple-checked. Then I checked again. Yes, Altuve was in the the supp draft. I had the second pick, so I pretty much knew I was going to get him, as the guy ahead of me already had a 2B. He's the perfect player for my team - a MI with speed and run-scoring ability, who can actually hit.
2.04 - Grant Balfour. I wasn't actually planning to get a closer here, but there was one looking back at me, and I had to take him. I figured all the ones with solid jobs would be gone at this point. I'm not planning to win this year, but I would like to move up in the standings and Balfour's saves will help.
3.04 - Shaun Marcum. An underrated pitcher who's always been good when healthy. He's not healthy right now which is a concernI seem to be higher on him than anyone else, but he projects pretty well this year.
4.04 - Matt Garza. I was hoping Josh Rutledge was going to fall here, as that was my SS target for this draft. But it didn't happen and I needed pitching more. Garza is another pitcher who is currently hurt but has good upside. Since I am thinking more longer term, the current injuries don't concern me as much.
6.04 - Michael Saunders. The wait between the last pick and this was almost intolerable. 36 hours between picks. The quality of players had also dwindled significantly at this point. I needed an OF for the UT spot and to start for Hart while he's out. I decided to punt SS after missing Rutledge. The veterans that were left were not going to help me much, so I decided to wait until late to pick someone up. Saunders should be slightly better this year with the fences moved in. Nice power/speed potential here.
7.04 - Brandon Beachy. I like this pick a lot. Totally with 2014 in mind, I think he will be a keeper for next year and will boost my pitching staff. He might even help this year if he comes back strong.
8.04 - Bud Norris. The SP's were getting thin and I needed to go way down the list to find someone with some K potential and some upside. The fact that he is the opening day starter doesn't say much, but I am hoping for some improvement in his numbers and maybe even a breakout. There's not going to be many wins though.
9.04 - Juan Francisco. A spec pick based on the spring he is having, and the fact that he should get the bulk of the AB's at 3B for the Braves. As a backup and part-time UT he will give me enough HR to make it count.
10.04 - Sean Doolittle. I have my namesake on all of my teams this year because he is the first Doolittle to play in the majors, even though we are not related (to my knowledge). I just think it's cool. And also Doolittle is a good relief pitcher to boot!
11.04 - Eduardo Nunez. Well here's my SS, finally. He'll get AB's while Jeter's out, and hopefully play some 3B as well. He may get replaced before June, but I knew this was going to be a revolving door position. I'd be happy with a dozen steals before I have to dump him. There's a slight chance he plays well and keeps a job somewhere, but probably not likely.
12.04 - Todd Helton. I was a bit surprised to find him here this late in the draft. I'll take a flyer on a guy who played decently enough last year in limited duty. I'm hoping he's healthier this year and can play 120 games or so.
12.14 - Joel Peralta. I needed one more RP and Peralta fits the bill. Not much chance to close but he has pretty good numbers.
13.04 - Travis Wood. I was confused as to how many roster spots we had so my intention was to get a pitcher here and a backup SS with my last pick. Anyways, after looking at my rotation I realized there was too many injuries at the start of the year so grabbed one more SP. I had Wood last year and he was actually decent, so why not.
I did okay in this draft. Altuve makes the draft for me, and as far as I am concerned, the rest of it is gravy. I never had any intention of competing this year. I am hoping for a top 10 and I think I have a chance with some luck going my way.
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| 606 | Species
ID: 9252619
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 20:07
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Some stuff:
- I "hit the button" on the draft results. Thanks again Tosh for inputting the effing draft over. This puts all of the remaining players on waivers, which will process on Thursday.
- I processed the pre-draft trade of Desmond and Rivera to Jaydog.
- Darrin Mastroianni was my final draft pick, but couldn't be added to my team due to the trade not being processed and I had no roster spots. I added him to my team. I still have 1 roster spot to fill.
- I added in the two in-draft trades by Jaydog for his 2013 extra picks.
- I deleted the list of trades affecting 2013 supplemental picks.
Managers may call up prospects who are on their prospect lists. You are supposed to announce a callup in our thread, including who you are cutting, and a Commissioner is supposed to do the transaction for you. NOTE: this is separate from the "call up and renounce" prospects we did prior to the Prospect Draft (i.e. Wil Myers). I am speaking of players who retained prospect list eligibility and were not part of team's 9 keepers. Guys like Manny Machado, Kyuji Fujikawa, Jedd Gyorko, etc.
Obviously this is not a requirement. They can remain on the prospect list without being called up to the main roster. Reminder: a player gets two callups and send-downs and can retain prospect status.
An example: Manny Machado has one callup/send down on his record. Tosh used him last year, and sent him down prior to keepers this year (which is part of one event of calling him up and sending him down). Say Tosh calls him up for a second time and he blows out his knee prior to exceeding prospect limits. He can be sent down one more time and retain eligibility on the prospect list through the next Prospect Draft.
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| 607 | Species
ID: 9252619
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 20:13
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A reminder:
Please be aware of the prospects on our prospect list who show as Free Agents in ESPN. Illegal pickups will be deleted....but a Commissioner may not be able to reverse a pickup in time to ensure that a player is not used illegally.
Many of the top free agents - as sorted by ownership percentage - are prospects. This includes, but is not limited to:
Machado
Profar
Eaton
Jyorko
Puig
Bradley
Hicks
Arenado
Rondon
Fujikawa
Ryu
Miller
Bauer
Cole
Bundy
Rosenthal
Please be cautious.
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| 608 | Slizz
ID: 36111511
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 20:22
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If possible, could you drop Greg Dobbs and replace him with Tyler Skaggs?
As mentioned above, I selected Greg Dobbs as a placeholder for Skaggs.
Thanks!
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| 609 | darkside
ID: 81492120
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 21:49
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Many thanks to all the commishes--I'm glad someone who is not me is responsible for this stuff!
I had no plan going into the draft and every pick was debated endlessly with no clear answer. My first pick (Broxton) was my worst, but I'm satisfied with the rest. Eaton getting hurt definitely put a crimp in my game plan, but I'll survive.
I had hoped to get back Zack Cozart, Marco Estrada and Tommy Milone (especially since he was a prospect for me), but they all went a bit earlier than I expected. Maybe not Milone, I debated him with my 3rd round pick, but went with another bat instead. That's the main reason I didn't wait on Detwiler.
I don't love most of my picks, but won't be surprised if I have a pretty good team. I also won't be surprised if I have a pretty bad team. Who knows, that's the fun of the season.
Good luck to everyone!
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| 610 | Species
Dude
ID: 07724916
Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 22:15
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Team Species Recap:
2013 is a rebuilding year for me. I have made no secret that my target is to come back in 2015.....and even that will be heavily dependent upon a couple of my prospects hitting the ground running that year (no guarantee of that obviously!).
My keepers are a mix of young and old:
C - Travis d'Arnaud -- a consensus top 15 prospect. A do-it-all catcher with strong offensive potential, who is basically major league ready and has the defensive prowess to not lose AB's or GP's due to poor defense.
1b - Mark Teixeira -- while he has lost his BA and OBP prowess, Teixeira is still only 33 (soon) and almost a guarantee of 30/100 in Yankee Stadium. He can help a contending team for a few years.
SS - Ian Desmond -- with Bogaerts and Lindor on the prospect list, Desmond was expendable. As Jaydog noted, he's not an OBP guy, but his counting stats rock and he's only 27.
3b - Evan Longoria -- a top 3 third baseman.....and by the time 2015 rolls around, he's still only 29 and is probably still a top 3 third baseman.
OF - BJ Upton -- long a favorite of mine, he's a 25 HR/35 SB potential guy in the OF. Still young and someone I can keep into 2015.
OF - Curtis Granderson -- Just turned 32....he has several more years of production left. I could hold onto him or trade him away for more future value.
SP - Felix Hernandez -- There are rumblings about his workload over his career. Hogwash! Are people paranoid about Verlander? No. He's a top SP keeper and a staple for my future team.
SP - CC Sabathia -- One little elbow issue in 10 years and some skeptics in baseball think the wheels are coming off. CC is only 32 and coming off a 3.38 ERA, 1.14 WHIP year....well below career averages. Maybe he doesn't fit a rebuild team, but there is no reason a contender would not want him for this year and the next 2 or 3 after that.
RP - Mariano Rivera -- I wanted a 1st round pick for him. I got it. Was worth the keeper spot.
OF - Wil Myers -- a "10th keeper", I called Myers up from the prospect list so I could get a pick. Myers was the Minor League Player of the Year in 2012 after smacking 37 homers. Myers has Matt Holliday written all over him and is a great young cornerstone for my team.
Having traded away my 1st through 3rd picks for this year in a futile attempt to contend in 2012, the cupboard was pretty bare. So my draft strategy was to accumulate as much value to other teams as I could, and build a pitching staff of setup men/potential closers that I could sell and perhaps dominate the ratio categories. Well that went up in flames as guys like Robertson (4.12 - you f**ker R9), Pestano (5.04), Albuquerque (5.18), Hernandez (6.14) and Storen (6.17) went flying off the board. Shame on me for feeling guilty about trying to field some kind of reasonably legit hitting team. Of course, with FOUR players not starting the year (d'Arnaud, Teix, Granderson & Myers) playing, I was pretty damned hamstrung by having to blow draft picks on mediocre replacements (Mayberry, Young, Blanco, Flowers) instead of tradeable assets.
Some picks I liked:
Round 1 - Hellickson - ready to come into his own
Round 2 - Carpenter - position flexibility, could break out
Round 3 - Brown and Crawford have nice upside
Round 4 - Cabrera, Ethier and Marmol were all nice picks
Round 5 - What was Ryan Ludwick doing available there?
Round 6 - Yonder Alonso. Easily.
Round 7 - Cashner and Beachy
Round 8 - Michael Pineda
Round 9 - Grandal
Round 10 - Ubaldo.
Round 11 - Phil Coke - if the Tigers don't trade for a closer, he'll see some save opps
Round 12 - Rex Brothers - Betancourt will be gone at some point and Brothers has nice closer stuff.
Round 13 - Dirks
Round 14 - How did I miss Devon Mesoraco? Wahhhhh! I do like my Wilson pick though :)
Should be a great year! I'll get a new thread up for Regular Season discussion this week.
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| 611 | Slizz
ID: 36111511
Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 11:02
|
Great analysis by all. Hoping I get to see more.
It's fun to read the because you see the thought process behind the picks. Like with Pierre...he certainly wasn't the best player available or sexiest pick, but he does give him at least 40 sb and fills a hole in his roster to get him more points en route to a potential championship.
I can already see Species 2015 keeper roster shaping up:
C - D'Arnaud
3B - Longoria
SS - Boagerts
OF - Wil Myers
OF - Upton
UT - Sano
SP - King Felix
SP - Pineda
...and whoever else he fills the last two spots with (probably 1B and RP)
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| 612 | Jaydog
ID: 45633109
Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 13:42
|
Yeah, the Pierre pick was one of my toughest of the draft. Pierre and Evereth Cabrera were at the top of my SB projections, but I had to go Pierre for a few reasons.
1) With Desmond as my primary SS, and one that plays just about every game, opportunities to use Cabrera were locked into only my Util spot. Pierre gives me the opportunity to use him in the Util spot as well as cycling through the other OF positions based on off days or injuries. I'm hoping to be able to get somewhere around 80+ or so games out of Pierre, where best case scenario w/ Cabrera was around 30-40 unless there was a major injury to Desmond. Also, having Desmond locked up meant that there was little chance I'd keep Cabrera beyond this season, so the youth factor did not come into the equation at all.
2) With Cabrera's brutal 20+% K rate, his opportunity to get on base is limited. Conversely, Pierre's 6% K rate, doesn't mean that he'll definitely get on base more, but the opportunity is there to have an OBP north of 350 (as he did last season). I think the players will have similar steal totals, and runs, both batting towards the top of weak lineups, but Pierre's OBP upside is much higher.
All things being equal, I'd much rather have a 26 year old SS just entering his prime than a 35 year old OF, but the fit just wasn't right for my squad.
Thanks for listening, I'm still trying to convince myself that I made the right move :)
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| 613 | Nerfherders
ID: 161121811
Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 17:55
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I think you did, especially when you have Desmond. If you can get a SB guy that can get over .340 OBP, that's a plus no matter what position they play. For whatever reason those guys are rare. I am hoping Revere can get there this year.
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| 614 | Ref
ID: 34731299
Thu, Mar 28, 2013, 20:50
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I wish I had made notes of the thoughts that were going through my mind during the draft.
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| 615 | allhair allstars
ID: 54242817
Thu, Mar 28, 2013, 21:08
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I remember some mine. As I recall there was a lot of moaning, a fair amount of swearing, and a good amount of calling people various names.
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ID: 34731299
Sat, Mar 30, 2013, 13:26
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In a nutshell, I went form last place to 5th last year. I wasn't really even able to rebuild as I was buying players to get my keepers to 9. I would rather buy keepers and pay whatever I had to pay to upgrade my team then keep who I have. Everyone's strategy is different but I see nothing but upside form doing so. This year I had some extra keepers. I only had two teams who were interested and ultimately I declined a trade for Escobar as I needed steals badly and to get those from a SS position was huge. The way I have it set up is I'd have 2SS and 2 3B in three spots with Hanley having SS and 3B elig. This would save me a spot as long as they all stayed healthy. Of course Hanley and Freese are no sure bets but both were great last year and Hanley was amazing when he went to LA. I would have loved to keep Kendry but him and Swisher are similar players but Swisher has higher OBP and is 1B eligible which could save me a roster spot as well. I was surprised I didn't get an offer for Kendry--2 years removed from one of the best players in baseball and 100% healthy--but someone was going to spend a 1st to get him. Last year I didn't have the keeper stick with high obp and some power to keep. My trade last year was for that reason. Though now I didn't nec. need it. I think people will look back on that deal and totally change their minds very soon.
1.16 16 Uggla, Dan 2B ATL
My strategy was to get a player with my first pick was to get a player who would make an impact. My biggest need was 2B. I looked and there were two of them I liked Uggla and Altuve. I knew Altuve would never make it to me because of his age, but Altuve really wasn't the impact player I needed. Uggla was perfect but felt there was no way he'd make it to me. There were four people ahead of me who needed a 2B and I was just hoping they had bigger fish to fry. Uggla had a down year last year and I had hoped that would be enough to drop to me at 16. This guy can really hit for power--when he can hit it at least. His slumps can smart. But at that pick I love it. Was so glad he fell to me.
2.16 36 Janssen, Casey P TOR
I didn't want to go closer here. Most closers at this point are up in the air--and this one is no different with an injury he is trying to get over, but the upside is tremendous. I only kept one saves guy thus far and I am going to need one. Toronto is a really good team and he should have plenty of opportunities. Unlike R9, I am not getting Santos--his backup anytime soon. I wouldn't have spent two 1st for the Dodgers two clsoers like R9 did. I know I am in the minority--but I disagree big time.
3.16 56 Dempster, Ryan P BOS
On my last pick, I looked hard at Cahill and AJ Burnett. i wanted one of those but thought that the SPs were clsoe enough that I needed to get the saves and see who falls to me next pick. I knew Cahill wouldn't be there but though AJ would since he is older and most people in this league run from old guys. Both went and that left me needing a big time SP since I didn't keep as many Ps this year. Dempter was still there. If he can pitch anywhere close to what he did in Chicago first half last year, he will be amazing. I expect a little worse but still good enough to help my team. He should at least get me some wins w/o costing me too much elsewhere.
5.09 89 Suzuki, Ichiro OF NYY
Either last year or the year before I had a chance to trade for him and I passed. As I was looking at the OF steals Ichiro and Pierre stood out. Pierre went already and well before I anticipated but I like Ichiro better simply because he brings more to the table and in a better lineup.
5.16 96 Masterson, Justin P CLE
i wanted this guy from the get-go. Several of you knew it already. I have had less and less time for fantasy sports lately, but moreso the last year where we sold our home and moved to an apt while we built our house. Well we built right next to Justin. Didn't know it until we were in the building stage. This guy is an incredible person. 6'7" 250 lbs and a devout Christian. I had him pegged from as a 6th round pick, so I wanted to grab him int he 5th to make sure I got him. We don't talk much about baseball, but he had an injury before last offssn and couldn't workout like he was able to this offssn. I am hoping he can get back closer to 2011 than 2012, but it is more personal to em. Someone I really wanted to root for and he is good enough to really help me. I love what the Indians have done in preparation for this team and I know I will be seeing them at least once or twice when Justin is pitching.
6.16 116 Maholm, Paul P ATL
I really like this pick. Was a little surprised he fell to me. I like ATL's support for him and think he will do at least as good as projected.
7.16 136 Pierzynski, A.J. C TEX
I put off a catcher for a long time. I did a lot of studying of other teams to find out who still needed a C and who would be left for me if I passed again. I really wanted AJ Ellis. The main thing that scares me is TFed behind him. But even though TFed is going to make the team this year--he was supposed to make it last year and be the man. Ellis fell off at the end because of his strong workload, but I think he will do better than last year and give high OBP. Arencibia is a guy I really like, but my team is not deep enough to make up for his awful OBP. I would have loved to keep the guy but just couldn't. SHOCKED he is still there but others must be thinking like me. Then you have this other AJ, who just went nuts when he hit Texas last year. I am not optimistic to think he will repeat those numbers but I still think he can hit 18-20. Soto seems to be done but should spell AJ enough. With AJ Ps obp, I think this can really help me. Seriously, his HRs should be clsoe to what JPs are with all the other numbers better. Felt he wouldn't be there on the next turn around when 4 other teams still need Cs.
8.16 156 Duda, Lucas OF NYM
This is another guy I was surprised was here. I really think he will do BETTER than projections.
10.01 181 Boesch, Brennan OF DET
I had been looking hard at Chris Young for a long time and even took Duda over him last round because I was unsure of Young's PT. I liked Duda's power but the steals and a 20/20 guy this late was intriguing. STILL, I went with Boesch because he is the starter in LF and they were saying that he will also get many ABs at DH over Hafner. Short porch in right and we know how Boesch can hit. Great lineup around him. They are saying he'd have an every day spot even have Granderson returns. Not sure how they are going to do this now that Wells is int he picture but I know they like Boesch over Hafner.
10.16 196 Young, Chris OF OAK
I had no plans at all to get another OF here. But YOUNG IS STILL THERE! I had to get him. Just hope he can find PT. 20/20 guy at 10.16 which is really like 19.16 with keepers and in a 20 team league. Then I see that my two OF prospects in Bradley and Puig are killing it--tho Puig is going to start the year in AAA. Now I may have to trade an OF--but which one? Have already been contacted about Boesch but no offer and again, who do I trade?
11.16 216 Nolasco, Ricky P MIA
Needed a P and even though he was way down on teh projections stuff--I liked him far and away better than anyone else. I love this pick for this spot int eh draft.
12.16 236 Carroll, Jamey 2B MIN
Blah. Best IF guy left with multiple positions. Gives me OBP and steals but that's a bout it. Now with my ss and 3b hurt he will be starting for me. That is a HUGE dropoff and will likely hurt me pretty bad.
13.01 241 Martin, Russell C PIT
I don't like Cs. I usually go without and not try to back them up but I thought Martin would actually help me on days needed to fill in. If not, it won't hurt me much to cut him. I didn't like the relievers left and the SPs would prob hurt me. No MIs left. The best RP I liked was Walden but I have a pick in 15 spots away and he might just be there. Didn't think Martin would.
13.16 256 Walden, Jordan P ATL
I like this guy. He has been a closer before and with the workload Venters had last year, Walden looks like he would be first to get some saves should he go down. Even if he doesn't, Walden will help me with the other stats and is not a pure save vulture.
I have to go. I will try and look at draft and give some opinions on guys I like later. Thanks for the indulgence.
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