At Home Plate - Fantasy Q & A (III)

At Home Plate

Written by Bryan Roth (Contact & Archive) on May 01, 2007

Q: I might be able, in the near future, to pick up a new pitcher. Should I go with James Shields, Dallas Braden (if you think he'll stick around), Jon Garland, Shawn Hill, or Gil Meche?

A: I’ve always been a fan of Shields, mostly because of his incredible K:BB ratio. Of the bunch, I’d say he’s at the top of my list. Already this year he’s got 37 Ks to just 7 BBs with a great 0.92 WHIP. You can’t really ask for more. He beats out Meche because Shields probably has the greater potential to win more games with the Tampa Bay lineup.

Q: 12 team standard 5x5 roto non-keeper Yahoo league w/daily changes … I have Rickie Weeks at 2B and I’m looking for a backup 2B and speed for utility spot. Who do I take: Ryan Theriot or Kelly Johnson?

A: If all you’re looking for is speed, then Theriot is your man. But, since you’ve got to fill up the rest of the categories, Johnson is a perfect fit. He’s probably not going to hit above .300 all season long, but he has a great eye and tremendous patience, so it’s not out of the question that he could do it with a full time job. He’ll also throw in 10-15 steals with 15-20 homers for you too. He’s also not too far behind the pace Jose Reyes is setting with runs scored. Granted, Theriot will steal 15-20 more bases, but Johnson will contribute across the board.

Q: I got Soriano/Lidge for Damon/Sabathia. Good trade?

A: Considering Damon’s back trouble, you just got a steal. Sabathia is a top #2 starter on a fantasy roster and with the fact you got a top-5 player in return, that’s a pretty good haul. You can use Soriano in CF instead of Damon, which is an upgrade, and I assume you’ve got pitching to spare. Lidge isn’t really needed as all he’ll be doing for the foreseeable future is 6th or 7th inning duties, but you can keep him for Ks if you need him.

Q: A guy sent me this offer and basically said that I could take it or leave it, and not bother with any counter-offers. Should I take it?

I give: Pujols and Dave Roberts
I get: Roy Halladay, Chris Ray, and Hideki Matsui

My roster (12 team 5x5):

SP: Sabathia, Dice-K, Brett Myers (ugh), Dave Bush, Clemens, Lincecum, Boof, Loewen
RP: Ryan (DL), Dotel (DL), Chad Cordero, Otsuka

C: Piazza
1B: Pujols
2B: Iguchi
3B: Chad Tracey
SS: Michael Young
CI: Teixeria
MI: B.J. Upton
OF: Ichiro
OF: Roberts
OF: Chris Duncan
OF: Corey Hart
OF: Mark Teahan
Util: Sexson
Bench: Jason Bartlett, Trot Nixon

A: Your league must be deep, but that seems like a lot to give up for a mid-tier closer and outfielder to go along with a top-10 starter. You’ve already got Sabathia and Matsuzaka, which is good enough to do without Halladay. Plus, Bush is a quality pitcher not many people realize. I really don’t know why you’re hanging onto Linceum or Boof Bonser right now. Linceum will force his way into the Giants rotation at some point, but that may not be this season. He could be this year’s Justin Verlander, Jon Papelbon or Brandon League. Bonser just isn’t throwing well right now. In short, it’s not worth it, even if you may have Teixeria or Sexson to take over at 1B.

Q: 10 team 5x5 AL only and I need a second catcher.

The choices are Doug Mirabelli, Jason LaRue, Kelly Shoppach, and Jason Phillips.

Which of these weak choices is best?

A: Mirabelli will only get one or two starts a week and Shoppach won’t hit for average. Phillips is in a good position to collect plenty of at bats with Greg Zaun on the DL for a while. If you need one of these guys for right now, go with him. When Zaun returns, keep an eye on Shoppach. He’s got pop and the Indians aren’t afraid to move him to 1B to keep his legs fresh or as a defensive replacement late in games.

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