Lastings Milledge or Chad Billingsley?

[The Loveable Losers]

Pretty close to never. Now my opinion is definitely flavored by my league's rules where we can only keep guys on our minor league keeper list while they're still under 50ip. After that we have to keep them as one of our 6 major league keepers. To me that's just not enough time to evaluate whether a pitcher will be worthy of a keeper slot unless his stuff is flat-out electric. If you're in a dynasty or have more liberal keeper rules then that certainly changes things.

Incidentally I do have 1 pitcher on my 8 man farm team - Daisuke Matsuzaka. I think I know what to expect out of him once he posts.

[thedude]

Incidentally I do have 1 pitcher on my 8 man farm team - Daisuke Matsuzaka. I think I know what to expect out of him once he posts.

Maybe you know he has got great stuff, but he will also have less gas left than any prospect. America pitching prospects (especially today) are watched to keep down the minor league wear and tear. While Japanese pitchers are not on any kind of pitch count. Japanese managers destroy the arms of thier pitchers. Matsuzaka once pitched 250 pitches in a high school game. He might be more of a risk than guys like Verelander and Lester (whose MLB teams have intently watched their pitch counts). Not trying to scare you, but...

[The Loveable Losers]

Actually, it was 270 pitches in that high school game. I don't expect him to have a lot of good years in the majors though. I'm looking for one...maybe two. Basically the Hideo Nomo effect where a guy baffles the major league hitters for a year or two until they figure him out. I figure he's good for at least those couple of years (and especially the one year I get to have him on my roster without even burning a keeper slot) and after that anything else is gravy. I just hope he posts in 2007 instead of '08 or '09 so that I can get him while he's still relatively young since you're definitely right...Japanese managers like pitch counts even less than Dusty Baker.

Incidentally, 270 pitches isn't Matsuzaka's high. He threw a bullpen session this year that hit 333 pitches. That's just sick.

[Lash]

mets 5-tool guys end up playing for someone else before they shine
(everett, p.wilson, etc) because they will trade them

so if you are in NL only league that means he could be lost

but i always like hitting over picthing

[nathan050904]

Take Billingsley. Billingsley is a stud. I am more of a pitching first kind of guy. I have an amazing pitching staff in my dynasty league with the likes of Peavy, Harden, Hernandez, Kazmir, Cain, Liriano, Billingsley, Verlander, Pelfrey and others. If we were talking a guy like Ian Stewart then I'd do it but, because of the depth at OF I think giving up the best pitcher in the minors (Liriano's the best IF he is in the minors) for a player at a deep position is too much. Keep Billingsley.