Mauer (in demand)

[Tom W]

I'm thinking about trading Mauer @ $24. I'm in a $260 A.L. league 10 keeper maximum. I have been offered $6 Span, $5 Walden, Mazzaro at $1, minor leaguers P's Drabek or Perez in different trade proposals. I have come in 1st and 2nd the last two years with the likes of Crawford at $40, A-Rod at $38, Napoli at $18 and other premimum priced players while looking for bargains at the end of the draft. I'm not looking to rebuild as I have Swisher @ $9, Pennington @ $3, Colby Lewis @ $4, and a few more cheap productive players but I could certainly use a breakout pitcher. Should I hold out for Morrow who he has at $2 or accept a combination of the above proposals. Of course the catching position is thin with most stud A.L. catchers in our league kept and therefore not available.

[Todd Zola]

While I am not averse to dealing Mauer, none of those packages particularly thrill me unless you can flip Perez or Drabek for quality help this season.

Perry can speak on Walden better than I, especially his saves potential, but unless he closes, his switch to reliever makes him a no-go at $5.

Span is nice, but not enough help for this year to make the deal.

Basically, for me it revolves around what you could parlay Perez or Drabek into.

[Captain Hook]

I think Walden may well get an opportunity to close at some point this year (he would have to be great against Rodney's terrible to start the season closing) but we really don't know how well he will do with the role.

I like him as a cheap play for saves but unless you are an LA based league, an existing $5 price is too high for me to freeze.

I do like Mazzaro at $1 - he showed some talent with the A's but remember it's really a future value bet as the Royals won't be winning a lot of games for him This year.

I like Drabek as a pitcher more than Perez (presuming you mean Martin/TEX) but dislike the home park and division so would rather have Perez although he is at least a year further away (if not two) after a somewhat disappointing season in 2010

So I think the question is whether you think you are competing this year or rebuilding on the fly with an outside shot to cash - if the latter I would try and get Span, Mazzaro, Perez and something else or just Span, Drabek and Perez. But if you want to compete from the get go I think you are better off freezing Mauer - if your draft/team doesn't measure up you should be able to get just as much offering him to those competing late next year for their pennant run (unless one team runs away with it)

[AllstonRockCity]

I think Walden may well get an opportunity to close at some point this year (he would have to be great against Rodney's terrible to start the season closing) but we really don't know how well he will do with the role.

Let's not overlook the fact that BOTH Rodney AND Jepsen will have to flame out for Walden to get a crack at Saves this year. Next year it'll be Jepsen vs. Walden. So, I'd say he has no shot this year and a 50/50 for next year.

[Tom W]

Thanks for the insight. Would it make any difference if Matusz $6, Morrow $2 or minor leaguer McGee were included in the deal in any of the combinations offered?

[Todd Zola]

We really need to know your intentions with respect to competing, and the level of "dump" deals in season.

Are you going all out to win this season? Looking to compete but have an exit strategy if things do not go well? More worried about 2012 and beyond?

How much are prospects usually worth in dump deals?

[Captain Hook]

I think Walden may well get an opportunity to close at some point this year (he would have to be great against Rodney's terrible to start the season closing) but we really don't know how well he will do with the role.

Let's not overlook the fact that BOTH Rodney AND Jepsen will have to flame out for Walden to get a crack at Saves this year. Next year it'll be Jepsen vs. Walden. So, I'd say he has no shot this year and a 50/50 for next year.

Not sure where you are getting that ARC, but it's not what I get from sources I talk to......just saying..................and btw IMO the odds are that Rodney starts the season as the closer (unless disaster or dominance in spring training) but won't hold it all year.

[Captain Hook]

Thanks for the insight. Would it make any difference if Matusz $6, Morrow $2 or minor leaguer McGee were included in the deal in any of the combinations offered?

IF you are set on trading Mauer now AND can get both Morrow and McGee and Span and/or something else then I would do that but not for any other combinations you have suggested

[whammer]

I don't love what is being offered to you - maybe as you get closer to ST your offers will improve as I'm sure most owners will have interest in Mauer at that price.

Is Napoli a keeper at $18? will he go for more than that at auction? Maybe you toss him back.

[AllstonRockCity]

I think Walden may well get an opportunity to close at some point this year (he would have to be great against Rodney's terrible to start the season closing) but we really don't know how well he will do with the role.

Let's not overlook the fact that BOTH Rodney AND Jepsen will have to flame out for Walden to get a crack at Saves this year. Next year it'll be Jepsen vs. Walden. So, I'd say he has no shot this year and a 50/50 for next year.

Not sure where you are getting that ARC, but it's not what I get from sources I talk to......just saying..................and btw IMO the odds are that Rodney starts the season as the closer (unless disaster or dominance in spring training) but won't hold it all year.

Sorry, not trying to hi-jack the thread, sometimes it just happens

But, Perry, you don't think Jepsen is the immediate backup to Rodney??

I agree that Walden is the future and that its Rodney's job to lose, but really, you don't think Jepsen gets a shot???

McGee is the future closer for the Rays. And the future is now. He gets 20+ this year and 35+ for the next 5. So, I like a deal that gets me Matusz and McGee for sure. But if I am playing for the year, I'm not sure it helps me as much as some other deals for more immediate impact types might.

[Tom W]

Well, did I also mention that this potential trade suitor also has Francisco @$6? I don't know how he did it but he seems to have every hot potential closer in waiting--dangling them all for a shot at Mauer. Fransisco $6, Walden $5, McGee (minor leaguer) and starters Drabek & Perez (minor leaguers--that I can stash on my minor league squad--4 total permitted). Factor in that he also has Span $6, Sean Rodriguez $5, Mazzaro $1, Morrow $2 to offer and I was dreaming of coming to the draft with some hot young studs and a boatload of cash. It seems that prying away 4-5 of these players would be no problem at all. However, I am inclined to keep Mauer even at $24. I don't mind being courted but the luck factor I'll need of having everything go right in the trade for me will have me wishing I just stood pat. Maybe.

[Captain Hook]

Sorry, not trying to hi-jack the thread, sometimes it just happens

But, Perry, you don't think Jepsen is the immediate backup to Rodney??

I agree that Walden is the future and that its Rodney's job to lose, but really, you don't think Jepsen gets a shot???

McGee is the future closer for the Rays. And the future is now. He gets 20+ this year and 35+ for the next 5. So, I like a deal that gets me Matusz and McGee for sure. But if I am playing for the year, I'm not sure it helps me as much as some other deals for more immediate impact types might.

NO, Jepsen is not the immediate choice to succeed Rodney...maybe Walden isn't either although I have heard more noise in that corner - actually Scioscia will work all that out this spring and any of the three could be closing on opening day but my guess today is that it will be Fernando Rodney.

I also disagree that McGee is for sure the closer this year or any year for Tampa - there are still some in the organization who would rather he be a starting pitcher although absent a trade/injury their rotation seems set for March thus the chance for him to emerge as the closer in a pen without one now.

[aburt19]

NO, Jepsen is not the immediate choice to succeed Rodney...maybe Walden isn't either although I have heard more noise in that corner - actually Scioscia will work all that out this spring and any of the three could be closing on opening day but my guess today is that it will be Fernando Rodney.

I also disagree that McGee is for sure the closer this year or any year for Tampa - there are still some in the organization who would rather he be a starting pitcher although absent a trade/injury their rotation seems set for March thus the chance for him to emerge as the closer in a pen without one now.

One name that hasn't been mentioned at all is Downs. I don't think that he gets the job full time, but he will be a factor
for at least a portion of the saves. The current Mastersball projections call for him to get 16 saves. I think that might
be a little aggressive, but would not be surprised at 10-12.

Bottom line, whoever gets the job out of ST is unlikely to hold it the whole season and there's likely to be several
pitchers who get several saves. Picking the right one for the majority of the saves is pretty hard to do given the
number of candidates. If the Angels are in the hunt, a trade for a closer could certainly be in the cards (Heath Bell
maybe?).

[AllstonRockCity]

Sorry, not trying to hi-jack the thread, sometimes it just happens

But, Perry, you don't think Jepsen is the immediate backup to Rodney??

I agree that Walden is the future and that its Rodney's job to lose, but really, you don't think Jepsen gets a shot???

McGee is the future closer for the Rays. And the future is now. He gets 20+ this year and 35+ for the next 5. So, I like a deal that gets me Matusz and McGee for sure. But if I am playing for the year, I'm not sure it helps me as much as some other deals for more immediate impact types might.

NO, Jepsen is not the immediate choice to succeed Rodney...maybe Walden isn't either although I have heard more noise in that corner - actually Scioscia will work all that out this spring and any of the three could be closing on opening day but my guess today is that it will be Fernando Rodney.

I also disagree that McGee is for sure the closer this year or any year for Tampa - there are still some in the organization who would rather he be a starting pitcher although absent a trade/injury their rotation seems set for March thus the chance for him to emerge as the closer in a pen without one now.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on these 2 topics.

Come September we will know for sure how this will all work out.

But I would like to add that the McGee as a starter noise is just smart baseball. You never have a guy go through ST assuming he'll be a reliever when he might be a starter. It's a heck of a lot harder to stretch a guy out during the season than it is to just stick him in the pen when he's already stretched. He lacks the secondary pitches to be effective as a starter, but was dominant in relief last year. If all that stands between a guy and Saves is Kyle Farnsworth, I'll take the guy not named Farnsworth every single time.