Last Minute Keeper Decision - Need Help Fast!

[lostraven]

I'm in a 12-team roto, keeper baseball league. We're beginning our fifth year.
We're not an auction league but still go the route of snake drafts. So no
dollar values or monetary inflation in this league. Vanilla 5 x 5.

We have 25-man rosters with an extra IF and OF spot. We also have a 3-man
minor league roster. Every year, we have to decide eight (8) keepers. And I can
say I've never agonized as much as I have this year over who to keep.

Definitely want to keep:

1.) OF Ryan Braun (Mil - OF)
2.) 2B Ian Kinsler (Tex - 2B)
3.) OF Corey Hart (Mil - OF)
4.) SS Rafael Furcal (LAD - SS)
5.) SP Dan Haren (Ari - SP)
6.) SP James Shields (TB - SP)
7.) SP John Lackey (LAA - SP)
8.)

Guys who are question marks, in order of importance to me:

SP Zack Greinke (KC - SP)
OF Ichiro Suzuki (Sea - OF)
SP Javier Vázquez (CWS - SP)
OF Jermaine Dye (CWS - OF)

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As you can surmise, here's the question of the day: Is it complete and
utter blasphemy to want Greinke more than Suzuki as keeper #8?

My deadline is in more or less nine (9) hours. Any and all comments appreciated
in making a decision.

Thanks,

-lostie

[mpoland92]

with the extra OF spot I would definitely keep Ichiro.... he has declined a little over the last couple years, but still keeper worthy IMO.

[ion293]

I am a big Greinke fan but in a roto league he won't get you any wins. I think it would be easier to find a replacement SP in the draft for cheap than Ichiro.

[ensanimal]

You have to go with Ichiro here. I love Greinke, but Ichiro is roto gold.

Call me crazy but....Greinke over Lackey maybe?

[lostraven]

ion: Yeah, I suppose that's a useful way to look at it; who will be easier to replace in
a draft? Ichiro or Greinke? You're probably right that I Ichiro is more difficult to replace.

ensanimal: I won't call you crazy. I could justify it from the perspective of long-term
value. If I have any hesitation about swapping Lackey out for Greinke, it would be
a couple of things: Lackey is probably more stable than Greinke and Lackey will
probably get more wins (props to ion for hinting at that). I hate to toss Lackey
into the pool also because I traded for him last year precisely because I was looking
for a solid pitching horse.

At the moment, I could see taking Ichiro over Greinke. I wonder if Greinke would
fall to the second round (basicly round ten after you consider the eight keepers)?

-lostie

[GiantsFan14]

Ichiro is a definite keeper out of this bunch. if you really wanted to keep greinke i'd drop furcal for him, i dont trust him to stay healthy at all.

[lostraven]

I ended up going against myself and tossing Furcal for Greinke. I know
many may look at keeping four SP as insane, but I couldn't give up
either Ichiro or Greinke. Reyes, Ramirez, Rollins, and Tulowitzki
were all kept so I can only hope that - if he's the best option - I can
get Furcal back with the fifth overall pick of the re-draft.

Thanks all.

-lostie

[GiantsFan14]

I ended up going against myself and tossing Furcal for Greinke. I know
many may look at keeping four SP as insane, but I couldn't give up
either Ichiro or Greinke. Reyes, Ramirez, Rollins, and Tulowitzki
were all kept so I can only hope that - if he's the best option - I can
get Furcal back with the fifth overall pick of the re-draft.

Thanks all.

-lostie

even if u miss out on furcal, there is some depth to SS this year. you should be able to grab one of young, jeter, hardy, peralta, tulo pretty easily and can probably wait until the 9th round overall to do it.

[Snakes Gould]

id keep greinke and ichiro and drop furcal back, and im a big furcal fan.

i dont really like the idea of you keeping so many pitchers, but i do feel they are your best options.

[CadensDad]

Ichiro here