Contract League Scenario: LONG!

[MadDog36]

League is 12 teams mixed weekly h2h 1 point per these cats: 1b XBH, HR, SB, RUN, BA, OPS, W, L, S, H, ERA, WHIP, BB

Would you guys give up on David Ortiz and trade him straight up for Greinke. I know that's buy low-sell high, but I could use the pitching and the waiver wire is pretty thin on pitching thanks to two teams.

This league is down on Hafner, I need the speed on my bench otherwise I would be punting that category and I cannot afford to do that, I've looked over every team and not one team has punted one category completely. I am surprised with our large rosters he remains undrafted and unsigned.

Contract Rules: You can sign at most, any 5 bats to 5-year contracts and the rest can be shared anyway you see fit. Pitchers (no more than two 3-year contracts) and the rest can be shared anyway. I am allowed up to 10 FA deals on my roster at any one time. I have used 9 at this point. I have used all 5 5 year contracts on offense and only 1 on pitching (which I'm allowed one more). Any contract can be increased up to 3 years total but that total goes into next year's budget. Right now I will be playing next year down two total years. Its a headache. Greinke's owner wants my Ortiz while he's struggling (he loves him) and wants to trade Zach Greinke for him. Zach is signed to a 3 year deal and I can afford to take this on. I am right now 5 years under the maximum number of years I can have. I have some solid bench bats and room to wiggle here. NOTE: You are allowed one "free" free agent contract extension for batters and pitchers, as a cap bonus if your team finishes in the top 3 from the following year which I finished in 1st in regular season, 2nd place overall in 2008 . So you get two free extensions or non cap contracts.

Any FA or one year contract I can switch with the hot hand as that spot would be like sign/release but that spot/player's contract cannot be increased if I drop anyone from that slot. Example: If Joe Smith starts out hot I sign him to one year FA deal and I do not keep him, then I can drop him for someone else with an automatic 1 year FA deal (but I would not be able to sign that player or any subsequent FAs that replace him in that spot afterwards past the season I used them, even if it was temporarily. However, if they remain solid producers and I choose to keep them I can extend their contracts for up to three years providing I have the room (which I have 5 free years to work with, 3 next year unless I trade....)

Travis Hafner is a free agent, I could pick him up and sign him for up to three years under league rules. (Ortiz's spot = 3 years) Would you? (I have 5 open years left). But if I did the deal for Greinke I would only have two open years (5 - Greinke's 3 = 2) If I did both I wouldn't have any more open years to extend any player's contracts that I have now. I would however have the room to use whatever that has a "one year deal" I could switch that player with a free agent (hot hand of the time) but I could not keep that player beyond this season. It's worth the small sacrafice, if it means helping you win, this year.

So my roster is below with scenarios:
--Pick up Hafner for 3 years, no trade?
--Pick up Hafner for 2 years, take trade, and leave myself with no extension room. (This does NOT mean I won't be able to make any moves, it just means I won't be able to extend any contracts I have now. I can still switch anyone with a one year or FA 1 year contract on my roster.)
--Do trade, leave Hafner alone, and use one of bench bats at DH (which can be anyone) save myself a couple of years to give myself the possibility of granting extensions later.

Roster:

C-1: Brian McCann (3 year contract left of 5)
C-2: John Baker (1 year)
1b: Justin Morneau (2 years left of 5)
1b: Paul Konerko (1 year left of 2)
2b: Aaron Hill (2 year deal)
2b: Brian Roberts (3 year deal)
3b: Mark Derosa (1 year deal extension)
SS: Hanley Ramirez (5 year deal)
INF: Jason Bartlett (1 year deal)
INF: Jack Wilson (1 year FA deal)
LF: Carlos Quentin (3 year deal)
CF: Grady Sizemore (3 year deal)
RF: Jayson Werth (1 year deal)
OF: Travis Snider (3 year deal)
OF: Michael Bourn (1 year deal)
OF: Nick Swisher (1 year deal)
DH: David Ortiz (2 years left of 3)
BENCH: Felipe Lopez (2b/SS/OF) 1 year FA deal, Matt Wieters (C) - 5 year deal , Mat Gamel 3b - 3 year deal, Carlos Gomez OF 2 year deal, Delmon Young OF 2yd, Willy Tavares OF 2yd (I have most of my speed on my bench they will start when they start hitting regularly or anyone in starting lineup cools off)
DL - A. Rodriguez (2 years left of 5, A. Gordon (1 year deal), C. Carpenter (1 year left of 2yd), EMPTY

Starting Pitchers (SPx7)
Johan Santana 3 year deal
Paul Maholm 2 year deal
Javier Vazquez 2 year deal
Derek Lowe 2 year deal
Livan Hernandez 1 year FA deal
Bartolo Colon 1 year FA deal
Mike Hampton 1 year FA deal (i use this spot for 2 start pitchers each week)

MRPx3
D. Reyes 1 year FA deal
A. Bailey 1 year FA deal
R. Soriano 2 year deal (last year of contract)

CPx3
J. Soria (2 year deal
H. Bell (2 year deal (extension used)
M. Corpas (1 year FA deal)

BENCH PITCHERS
Andrew Miller 1 Year Deal (extension would be free by league rules)
Chris Perez 1 Year FA deal

[myroto83]

Do the deal but leave Hafner alone, give yourself something to work with later in the year.