Q:
I’ve got Jonathan Papelbon on my team and I’m
exploring trade possibilities to upgrade in other areas. What
kind of deal should I be looking for?
- Mike
A: Right now, you’re holding on to perhaps the best bargaining chip in fantasy baseball, other than Albert Pujols, of course. Papelbon has been he best closer in fantasy baseball, adding fantastic ratios and strikeout numbers to go along with a high amount of saves. For this reason, you should be able to get just about whatever you want.
Everyone is always looking for saves and if you can offer another owner a player who not only will get about 15-20 more but will be among the best fantasy players, you should be able to get what you want in return. I’ve seen trade offers with Papelbon involve 2-for-1’s like Brian Fuentes and Lance Berkman or Eric Hinske and Grady Sizemore and straight up trades in which Papelbon has gone for guys like Pedro Martinez or Jim Thome. It all depends on what your needs are positionally and what the other team can give you.
With that said, if you’ve got another
closer or two that can keep you afloat in that category, there’s
no reason not to explore possibilities. The best bet would be
to get a lower level closer to go along with a top-tier offensive
player (you get the best of both worlds).
Q: Which of these recently called
up players will be more valuable to me in my middle infield (MI)
position: Stephen Drew or Howie Kendrick?
- Jim
A: Depends what you’re looking for. Kendrick has never been a power hitting guy and Drew has hit his share of bombs over a short minor league career.
Since being drafted in 2002, Kendrick has done nothing but hit at a high rate. All along the way he’s been in the mid to high .300s at just about every stop. This season alone, he’s been hitting just below .400 in-between stops with Los Angeles. Well, he’s probably there to stay with the trade deadline looming and Adam Kennedy a free agent after this season. I’m not guaranteeing that Kendrick will be able to hit at the same pace as he did in the minors, but he’s certainly going to be hitting above .300.
Kendrick doesn’t walk much, which could hurt him against Major League pitching, but if he has any growing pains, he’ll get over them quick. You should expect an average over .300, a few home runs and steals and if he stays at the bottom of the order, 30-40 RBIs.
Drew, meanwhile, is coming out of Tucson, where he was hitting .284 with 13 home runs. Drew has always had more power than Kendrick and looks like a shortstop who could hit 20 home runs annually, maybe 30 in his prime years. He does have the advantage of playing in a hitter’s park, but he was also playing in a hitter’s haven in Tucson, which might have inflated his overall numbers a little bit.
Drew is hitting in a Diamondbacks team that may or may not be broken up when the trade deadline comes closer, depending if they can hold their ground where they are right now. He’s probably not going to hit for a very high average as he adjusts to the majors, so something around .260-.270 could be expected. The power is there, and 5-10 home runs isn’t out of the question in Phoenix.
In the end, Kendrick feels like the better option, if only because he’s probably more ready from an offensive standpoint. Since that’s the only thing that matters in fantasy baseball, Kendrick should be your man. You can take Drew as well, but it’s always safer going with a sure(er) thing.
Q: I’ve been offered Ervin
Santana and Ben Sheets for Jake Peavy in a keeper league. Thoughts?
- Nick
A: If this weren’t a keeper league, I’d probably stick with Peavy, but it’s hard to ignore what’s on the table.
Here’s the thing, and this is what I love about keeper leagues, if you’re out of contention this year, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t start rebuilding for next season. Santana’s pretty good now, but he’s definitely one of the guys worth hanging on to in a keeper league for the next few years. In all honesty, if Sheets weren’t injured right now a deal for just him and Peavy would probably be a wash with the way Peavy is getting shelled.
What’s happened to Peavy this season
is a mystery. Aside from injury, I really have no idea why he
would take such a drastic nosedive in 2006. His strikeouts are
still there and he appears to still be throwing hard, but everyone
just seems to have caught up to him. Meanwhile Santana has been
really good the last six weeks and if/when Sheets comes back,
that would push the deal over the edge. But he still could be
a while away from
returning from his right shoulder tendonitis, especially if the
Brewers decide to pack it in and shut him down for the rest of
the year.
This has the potential to be high-risk, high-reward. I certainly don’t think Peavy is going to struggle the rest of the way, but a combined Santana and Sheets package is pretty tough to ignore. It just depends on if you can wait for Sheets to come back.
Q: I am looking to add Lyle Overbay, who should
I drop:
C Posada
1B Utley
2B F. Sanchez
SS Rollins
3B Figgins
OF Alou
OF Thames
OF Beltran
UTL Sexson
BN Youkilis
BN Crisp
- Patrick
A: Let me make this simple: drop no one. Overbay has put up his typical Overbay numbers this year and could even add an extra five home runs to what we’re used to, but it’s really not worth it with the players you have now.
Of the people on the team, these are the ones you should consider if you’re really smitten with Overbay: Moises Alou, Marcus Thames and Kevin Youkilis. The thing is, all these players numbers are already on par with Overbay, or better. Youk will score plenty of runs atop the Red Sox lineup and garner the same average as Overbay and Thames will continue to hit more home runs and may end up with more RBI. Alou’s health has been a big question and if you really want to get Overbay, you should drop him.
But, I really don’t see the need to add another first baseman. Sexson struggled in the first half, but he’s fine now. He’ll just have his normal, low average. Youkilis is 1B eligible too, and he’s pretty much the same player. Unless there’s a pitcher you want to drop to make this work, it’s really just not worth it.
Q: What do I do about Jorge Sosa?
- Zach
A: If you have the space for him on your roster, hold on to him. While Sosa looks like he’s effectively pitched his way out of the closer’s spot, there’s no reason why he could get back into it. Ken Ray is the favorite for saves as of now, but who knows what Atlanta will do at the trade deadline.
If John Schuerholz actually believes the Braves can leapfrog the six or seven teams ahead of them for the Wild Card, he’s grossly mistaken. All this talk about the Braves being buyers is kind of crazy. Maybe they can compete again next year, but 2006 is done because the hole is just too big.
But, if the front office doesn’t believe
that, you have to think the first thing they’ll try to do
is acquire someone who can actually close out games. Until then,
I’d rank Ken Ray as #1 closer, Sosa as #2 and Oscar Villarreal
as #3.
