Time To Make Changes?

[davidtalker2]

I'm already in the cellar in my mixed league. I'm already six games back. I liked my lineup from day one. I have added Kenny Lofton and dropped Carlos Pena.

My pitching I've been tweaking. As you see I like the Phils' staff. I picked up Guardado

C-Posada
1B=Bagwell
2B-Marlon Anderson
SS- A-Rod
3B-Rolen
OF- J.D, Drew
OF-Abreu
OF-Hidalgo
U- C. Jones
B- Griffey
B-Lofton
B-Catalanotto

SP- Lieber
SP-Vasquez
P-Appier
P-Astacio
P-R. Wolf
P-Duckworth
P-Sheets
RP-Kim
RP-Guardado

[Chicago]

Just some quick observations. In terms of your offense, patience may be your best weapon. A-Rod and Chipper have had a terrible start, and Bagwell has hit .300 and nothing else. At the end of the season, all 3 will be top 20 fantasy players. No reason to push the panic button on these.

I notice you have two superstar third basemen. Have you thought about trying to trade one away to try to fill a pitching need?

Your pitching: You have some worries, but you also have lots of potential. Jon Lieber has had somewhat of a slow start . Hopefully he will be a superstar again this year, if the Cubs offense comes around. Astacio is a make or break guy. He's making it big time right now. Keep him for now and start him, with a close eye when he starts against big offensive teams, which he hasn't yet. If you're looking for a free agent pitcher, I recommend picking up D'Amico on the Mets if you can, he's been available in most of my leagues. Looks like the Mets staff is legit. Vasquez is a concern for me too. I can't really comment on him though, because he's one of those guys that I see and say, "Oh, he's a top 10 pitcher? Really?" So the experts say. He's had a slow start. Wolf's been injured, should be above average to great, Appier is a finger-crosser, Duckworth's been awesome, and Sheets noteworthy.

In summation, your pitchin staff is volitile. It would have been great if you could anchor these guys with a solid veteran superstar like Schilling or Maddux, but c'est la vie. Lieber is close, but not quite. Concentrate on scouring ever bit of information about pitching you can, on your players and players that are available. Less attention is needed for your offense, but try to fill some of those holes around you superstars. Don't be afraid to get rid of hyped young upstarts that aren't panning out.

One more note: I don't like fantasy players like Marlon Anderson. Sure, he's going to get a crapload of hits and nice average, but look at his pitiful RBI, HR, and SB's. BORING! Take a chance on a hot 2B and have some fun.

[Arlo]

Not much to add to Chicago's excellent analysis. I agree that Anderson is the weak link in an otherwise stellar lineup - if you can pick up an upgrade either through a trade or by grabbing a free agent, I'd do it, but your hitters should be at or near the top of your league even with Anderson at second. I'd try either shopping a 3b, as Chicago suggested or trading/dropping a bench of. Your substitute of's are good, but they won't see a lot of action on your team.

Your pitching also looks solid, one one more top-of-the-line starter could push you over the top. A D'Amico type would look good, but be aware that he also comes with serious questions surrounding his durability. I actually do like Vazquez, and not simply because of his rankings in various projections. Vazquez can flat out pitch; the comparisons with Pedro Martinez are legitimate. Yes, he plays in Montreal and has an iffy bullpen which will both cut down on his wins, but the rest of his stats should be very solid.

Two more quick trade ideas: try packaging Vazquez or Lieber together with one of your up-and-comers or a bat and see if you can get on of the premier starters. Also, trading Kim for a different closer may be worth considering: Mantei's return has me a bit worried. In all likelihood, Kim will retain the closer's spot, but if you can eliminate that risk, you'll have one less factor to worry about.

In sum, though, this is a rock solid team which should quickly rise out of the cellar. Enjoy the ride!

[davidtalker2]

Thanks for the evaluation guys.
I actually added Marlon Anderson. Draft gave me Eric Young at 2B. I made the switch before the season began. Got Anderson as a FA.

I am already out of the cellar. I am feeling really much better now that Kim and Guardado look like real deals and Abreu is back in the lineup.