Fantasy Baseball Advice

knucklecup · May 11, 2009

My Team:

C - Russell Martin
1B - Russell Branyan
2B - Brandon Phillips
SS - Jason Barlett (Stephen Drew on DL)
3B - Evan Longoria
OF - Carlos Beltran
OF - Hunter Pence
OF - Ryan Braun
UTIL - Ryan Zimmerman

Bench:
2B - Howie Kendrick
OF - Justin Upton
C - Matt Wieters
OF - Juan Pierre

SP - Zack Grienke
SP - Johnny Cueto
SP - Paul Maholm
SP - Trevor Cahill
SP - Kevin Millwood
RP - Jonathan Broxton
RP - Jonathan Papelbon
P - Juan Cruz

SP - Fausto Carmona
RP - Matt Capps

Have an excellent team, probably the best in the league but I have no first baseman and it's hurting. Billy Butler to start, then to Kendry Morales, then to Adam Laroche, and now to Russell Branyan. Here's the trade I'm being offered at the moment...

I get: Kevin Youkilis, Alexei Ramirez, Daisuke Matsuzaka
I give: Ryan Zimmerman, Johnny Cueto

Both Zimmerman and Cueto have been studly this year, but can they maintain it? Is Youkilis going to be out for significant time? Does Alexei Ramirez claim his job back from their terrible other options and hit like the stud he was last year as a back-up middle infielder...

What are your thoughts?

Nolan11 · May 11, 2009

I'd definitley take that trade.

Zim is playing great this year and may very well keep it up, but Youk is going to be a consistent performer that you can pencil in for .310, 20, and 110. You know Daisuke will bounce back and win some games the 2nd half of the year and Cueto is great but pitches for a streaky team. ARam hasn't gotten hot yet either, but he's a very useful piece.

You can rotate your utility spot between whoever is hot and keep scouring waivers for a Matt LaPorta type call-up or someone coming off the long term DL like Hafner in a month or two.

jeff_tweedy · May 11, 2009

what people failed to realize during their drafts was that first base is so much thinner than in years past. i think alexi ramirez will be fine, their hitting coach even says there is nothing technically wrong with his approach at this time. I'm not sure about the extent of Youkilis' injury, but he is a top 5, if not 3 1B option. now may be a good sell high time on Zimmerman as he is prone to the injury bug and wild hot/cold streaks...we are just seeing a real hot one right now. Cueto will be ruined in the 2nd half by Dusty Baker and his long pitch counts. So yeah, i would take that trade. Your team is pretty solid, but aside from Greinke, i'm not at all sold on your starting pitching. It needs at least one or two more guys. Millwood won't keep it up, Cahill is young...maybe try to pick up Brett Cecil or pick up (if u have roster room to hold guys) one of the injured Jays (McGowan, Marcum) and just hold em till they come back. Smoltz and Sheets also fit this category. Either way, good luck.

jeff_tweedy · May 11, 2009

oh..and why didn't you stick with Butler (who got real hot), or LaRoche (who is a 2nd half monster) instead of now going with Branyan, who is worthless except a few HR's...and will kill your batting average.

knucklecup · May 11, 2009

My starting pitching being so thin is why I'm hesitant to do this deal.

I definitely underestimated how thin the first base position was - this team in particular that I'm trading with has Youk, Adrian Gonzalez and Carlos Pena, so he's very willing to make such a deal.

There are plenty of good pitchers on the free agent market and with it being a league where you need to lock rosters every sunday night, it makes sense to scour the free agent market for two start starters.

if Matsuzaka comes back and is his usual self, it will be a great deal for me because the reason I've been so effective is because Grienke and Cueto have been cogs at the top of my rotation and my offense is the best in the league.

Tough decision.. thanks for the input man.

knucklecup · May 11, 2009

jeff_tweedy said:
oh..and why didn't you stick with Butler (who got real hot), or LaRoche (who is a 2nd half monster) instead of now going with Branyan, who is worthless except a few HR's...and will kill your batting average.

My team batting average last week was over .500 with Adam Laroche going one for 24.

I tried to stick with these guys but just haven't been able to.

Morales and Butler are two players that I like, but in a ten team fantasy league, they're just not there yet.

gootz · May 11, 2009

I wouldn't do it...Cueto is a stud...and it will be a blow to your team to lose him...

cutacrossshorty · May 11, 2009

I'd like to know what 1st basemen are on the free agent list. There are probably some upgrades over Branyan there. If any of Hank Blalock, Mark Teahan, or Nick Johnson are there, I think they give you more than that trade does.

asufan550 · May 11, 2009

I would do this in a heartbeat. Upton is likely to replace all, and maybe even exceed, Zimmerman's production. Cueto will have his ups and downs this season. You're getting the best player (Youkilis) in the deal and Daisuke is a good bet to outperform Cueto from this point on. The trade fills your major holes and doesn't cost you all that much. No brainer.