My team...feel free to rate it---WHIR

[tah161]

So I missed the draft for my yahoo league and allthough my hitting is pretty nice, my pitching could use some help.
The stats we count are R HR RBI SB AVG OBP W SV HR K ERA .

And here is my team:
C: Ryan Doumit
1B: Ryan Howard
2B: Chase Utley
3B: A-Rod
SS: Rafeal Furcal
OF: BJ Upton
OF: Carl Crawford
OF: Curtis Granderson
UTL: Jacoby Ellsbury
BN: Chipper Jones (3B)
BN: Jorge Cantu (1B, 3B)
BN: Howie Kendrick (2B)
BN: Edwin Encarnacion (3B)
BN: Nelson Cruz (OF)

Pitching:
SP: Francisco Liriano
SP: Felix Hernandez
RP: Joba Chamerlain
RP: Jose Valverde
P: Yovani Gallardo
P: David Price
P: Chris Young
BN: Ben Sheets
BN: Scott Baker

I feel I really need to tweak some things. For one I plan on scrapping saves since I only have 1 closer. So I can use Valverde as trade bait. Secondly, I want to aquire Matt Kemp (yes, have a man crush on him). I proposed Granderson for Kemp to a guy but he hasnt gotten back to me yet. Thirdly, I need a catcher who is going to play more than 116 games, so I proposed Doumit to a guy for V-Mart (doubtful, but still worth a try). Fourth, I would also like to grab Manny, so I want thinking Chipper + Valverde. Will that be enough? I have 3B coming out my butt right now, so I can deal Chipper, and Edwin. Last but not least, for the hitting, why does Nelson Cruz have such a high O-Rank (yahoo)? Still trying to figure that one out. I figure I can drop him for Adam Jones or Justin Upton.

Now onto pitching, I should have at least K's locked up. But I need to bolster my pitching with some more starters since I am scrapping saves. I am not liking Ben Sheets right now because he dosent have a contract, but should I drop him for someone else? Such as Randy Johnson or Jair Jurrjens (since he dosent give up many HR's). There isnt much in terms of pitching out there, so I will probably have to trade to get some.

Feel free to comment, rate, or give me any tips...as I need them. Like I said my main priority is getting Kemp on my team, then Manny, then pitching.

[jmurphy_j]

You actually have a very good team. One of the better auto-draft teams I've seen. But I think you are way overthinking things and you may be at risk or ruining this team.

First of all, drop sheets. Big Unit and Jurjens are both fine replacements.

Obviously you are somebody that love to have Ace pitchers, because your pitching staff is just fine. What you lack at the top of the rotation you more than make up for in depth. Hernandez and Gallardo are both legit #2 fantasy starters. Liriano and Joba are both #3 starting pitchers. And Price, Baker and Chris Young are all legit #4 fantasy pitchers...plus Price and Baker have big upside. Add Johnson or Jurjens to that and your pitching is just fine!

You're also the first person I've seen complain about Dounit. I have him ranked as the #6 catcher overall and at the top of the 2nd tier. You are better off at catcher than at least half of your league. And, by the way, offering Doumit for V. Martinez is an insulting offer that will only make it more difficult for you to make a legit trade with that manager later.

And now my most important point: DO NOT PUNT SAVES!!!!!! Saves represent 10% of the available points. Besides, you have Valverde, a top 10 closer and solid bull pen anchor. You also have plenty of talent in your starting pitching staff and on your bench to get another closer now, and you can always find extra saves during the season. Just don't overpay for elite closers. Instead target the lower tiered guys that have secure jobs and you'll be fine. If you can get 2 closers now without gutting your roster, great. But that isn't needed. As long as you have 2 starters on opening day you will be fine. It takes effort to find the avaialble closers before your competitors do during the season (pay close attention to the close hot-sheets), but it can be done. Besides, once A-Rod is healthy again, you will have Chipper as trade-bait for another closer...if you still need one. The guys I would consider trading for a closer are: Scott Baker, Chris Young, Nelson Cruz, Cantu, Kendrik and/or Encarnacion. I think with that group you could certainly convince somebody to part with somebody like a Qualls, Brian Wilson, Hanranhan or Lindstrom, which is all you need (at least for now).

"Man Crushes" and the "Home Town Favorite" have ruined more fantasy teams than torn rotator cuff's. Managers either overpay for these guys in the draft, or they make terrible trades to get them. Now, if you can get Kemp for Granderson, that's fine (I doubt it, though). But you have plenty of talented players on this team already. So don't get so fixated on trading for specific players that you make bad decisions. And punting saves so you can trade Valverde and Chipper away in a package deal would be a terrible trade. I've already explained my feelings on punting saves. But A-Rod is hurt....there's no way you can trade Chipper before A-Rod is back to 100%. Chipper becomes trade bait only AFTER A-Rod is of the DL and hitting well again.

You have a lot of talent on this team. If you insist on making trades for 1 or 2 specific players you are much more likely to hurt your team than to help it. Good trades are based on need and finding value....they are never based on names.

Nelson Cruz, Justin Upton and Adam Jones are all roughly equal in value. Being young prospects, Upton and Jones have a lot of upside, but also a lot of risk. Cruz is older and has a track record, so is a much safer (or at least predictable) pick, but not nearly as much upside as the others. You really cant go wrong taking whichever one you prefer. Personally, I like Upton the most, with Cruz a very close 2nd.

You ended up with a very promising team. Don't overthink it and ruin a good thing. If you take a close look you should see that you have plenty of talent and the team only needs some minor tweeks,,,not a major overhaul.

Good Luck!

Please help: http://www.fantasybaseballcafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=372005

[lastingsgriller]

well.. I think scrapping saves is a bad idea.. watch the waiver wire closly.. you have a lot of hitter you dont need. Kendrick, Cruz, and encarnacion are basically worthless to you.. drop them when you see a pitcher about to be promoted to closer.. you can save saves (pun intended).

2nd, might as well trade Cantu. you dont need the power and you will never start him over arod, chipper or howard.. you've gotta cut the dead weight and turn it into something productive.. then you could have a very solid squad.. you gotta remember, closer help you K's, ERA, adn WHIP as well.... never a good Idea to punt a category..

WHIR????
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=372189

[tah161]

The reason I was thinking of scrapping saves is because we dont have WHIP as a pitching stat. We do however count HR's against.

There are a couple closers I could grab such as Sherrill, Frank Fransisco from Texas, or Ryan Franklin from the Cards, Mark Lowe for Seattle, or Joey Devine of Oakland? Which do you think I should grab?

I also think Cantu is a good bench player on my team. I think Chipper has more trade value than him.

So back to closers, which do you think would be the better choice?

Thanks for the suggestions!

EDIT: I dropped Nelson Cruz and picked up Joey Devine. I could drop Sheets for another closer out of the ones mentioned above.

[jaysfreak91]

You have a good team that came from an autodraft few things first

I would grab Sherril he was really good last year when he was a closer and surprised he's still out there I would get him their other option is Chris Ray who didn't even pitch last year and not sure how he will come back from being injured last year I like him over the other 2 options I don't think Franklin will be a closer he was a closer last year for a bit and then lost the job later on.

I'd trade 2 of Chipper, Encarnacion and Cantu for a closer or two. You have too many 3Bs which you can turn into something valuable in return

[metsfan12]

If I were you I'd drop Sheets and Edwin for Devine and Frank Francisco. You don't need Edwin and he won't get you anything in a trade. Those two should be closing to start the season although Devine might miss a week due to injury. Even if he isn't closing right away Devine put up great numbers last year.