Dropping the AXE on Alou!

[matt]

So far I am pretty happy with my team in yahoo 5x this year. My team goes like this.
C:Fick
1st:Helton
2nd:Kent
SS:Batista
3rd:Nevin
OF:Guerrero
OF:Hunter
OF:Cedeno
Util:Erstad
Util:Kearns
bench:Juan Gonzolez(dl)
bench:Vaughn
bench:Alou

I was able to trade Giambi and Gagne for Guerrero and Wickman for Kent and Matt Anderson. No worries I Still have Rivera and Julio. I just recently dropped J Jones for Erstad on a hunch that niether one of them was going to keep playing the way they have been. But my Q is mostly about Alou. My OF has been off to an injured and slow start and Alou is usually a fast starter. Should I dump him for a Finley or Cruz? Or should I hold tight?

[Chicago]

Personally, I don't like either Erstad or Cedeno. I think Erstad should be dropped at the slightest hint he's going cold again. (I know he's been hot lately).

Kearns playing time might be hurt in the future once Griffey comes back.

As for Alou, he's a FA in a few of my leagues, and I honestly don't know what to do about him either. He does put up solid stats year after year, so he could be a second half breakout. But he's playing horribly, and he'll be just taking up space. So if you have the room to wait it out, do so.

[Arlo]

I think Erstad will be neither stud nor dud this year, but a middle-of-the road of. You could do worse, but if you can upgrade, there's no reason not to. I'm not quite ready to lower the boom on Cedeno yet. He's never been a quick starter (now that's an understatement...), which is frustrating, but his speed potential makes it worth hanging on to him a bit longer.

Chicago's right about Kearns - though I love the way he plays, the playing time situation in Cincy is completely up in the air. At the moment, it looks like he'll keep seeing at bats, but if he slumps, the odds are good he'll be sent down.

And Alou is truly a stumper. Finley is certainly a solid player, as Chicago said earlier, but I'd wait just a little bit longer before giving up on Alou, even though it's risky. For one thing, your of is solid enough that you can afford to be patient, and for another, Alou wants to play and play at a high level. I'd give him the chance.

You might also try shopping some of your outfielders. Hunter, Cedeno, Kearns, or Erstad might all bring a decent return, and perhaps you can package them into a deal that clears roster space, allowing you to grab Finley for free.

[Arlo]

Been thinking about this, and it's truly a tough question. Here's how I'd make my decision on Alou:

If the main factor leading to you dropping him is his high injury risk, go ahead and pull the plug. If, on the other hand, you're primarily disappointed with his stats, give him a chance to prove himself. You wouldn't dump a star after just two weeks, which is about the equivalent of injury-free ganes Alou has had.