First pass through 2014 keeper list

[CubFan]

Time to dust off my roster and see who I should consider protecting for this coming season. I play in a 12 team AL only standard 5x5 H2H keeper league with $260 draft day cap. We can keep a max of 8. We can keep a player for 2 years at their original salary, then we can sing them for up to 3 years at $5 increments.

C- Pierzynski $4 (must sign to a contract)
1B/3B - Donaldson $7, Yan Gomes $1
2B/SS - Aybar $25, Nunez $1
OF- Trout $35 (must sign to a contract), Swisher $17
UT - Ortiz $4
SP- Dickey $23, Scherzer $18 (must sign to a contract), Parker $8 (must sign to a contract), E. Ramirez $3
RP - Gausman $1, Smyly $1, Farquhar $3
DL- C. Lewis $5

My first thoughts are:

Gomes - $1(slated to be the full-time catcher)
Donaldson - $7
Trout - $40 (sign for 1 yr)
Ortiz $4
Scherzer - $23 (sign for 1 yr)
Gausmann - $1 (slated to start but wonder if he needs a yr of seasoning before rostering as a keeper) or Ramirez $3
Smyly - $1
Farguhar -$3 (conditional if he is the closer)

Thoughts?

[Captain Hook]

Time to dust off my roster and see who I should consider protecting for this coming season. I play in a 12 team AL only standard 5x5 H2H keeper league with $260 draft day cap. We can keep a max of 8. We can keep a player for 2 years at their original salary, then we can sing them for up to 3 years at $5 increments.

C- Pierzynski $4 (must sign to a contract)
1B/3B - Donaldson $7, Yan Gomes $1
2B/SS - Aybar $25, Nunez $1
OF- Trout $35 (must sign to a contract), Swisher $17
UT - Ortiz $4
SP- Dickey $23, Scherzer $18 (must sign to a contract), Parker $8 (must sign to a contract), E. Ramirez $3
RP - Gausman $1, Smyly $1, Farquhar $3
DL- C. Lewis $5

My first thoughts are:

Gomes - $1(slated to be the full-time catcher)
Donaldson - $7
Trout - $40 (sign for 1 yr)
Ortiz $4
Scherzer - $23 (sign for 1 yr)
Gausmann - $1 (slated to start but wonder if he needs a yr of seasoning before rostering as a keeper) or Ramirez $3
Smyly - $1
Farguhar -$3 (conditional if he is the closer)

Thoughts?

In general I agree with your choices BUT my plan would be to put out a trade email and see what you can get for
1) Pierzynski - if a two catcher league he would be a reasonable keep at $9
2) Scherzer - I don't mind keeping him at $23 but you are paying for last year AND someone in your league might want to overpay for him .... and the same goes with
3) Trout - I know heresy but I don't view your keeper list as overwhelming and you might get a better SP than Gausman or Ramirez and a better closer than Farquhar or one of those and a slam dunk hitting keeper for Trout if there is a team in your league that wants to sign him for two years at $50

As far as Gausman v Ramirez obviously unless you get a better starter in a trade you need to wait and see if spring training changes either's role but if both are starting I would prefer Erasmo pitching in the AL West over Gausman in the AL East

[CubFan]

Put out the trade e-mail. Got 2 responses with one owner interested in Trout only. But as luck would have it he is the owner with the most "cheap" talent that I have some interest in.

BTW….it's a 1 catcher league.

Here are the players of interest from his roster…

1B Brandon Moss 9…..good source of power but BA risk
2B Jurickson Profar 7 (has to be signed to a contract)…..$12 at week MI
OF Coco Crisp 13……lots of speed but not expecting a repeat of the power outburst….and injury-prone
OF Kole Calhoun 3….intriguing speed/power combo but expect regression in his sophomore year.
OF Alex Rios 19 (has to be signed to a contract)….at $24 his salary is below market due to his SB and power hitting in the middle of the order of a potent offense
OF Oswaldo Arcia 4
CM Brett Lawrie 20…..fully priced at current salary
P Koji Uehara 3…..not getting any younger and always an injury risk
P Scott Kazmir 3…..was 2013 lightning in a bottle or the start of a new chapter as he regained mph on his FB
P Ivan Nova 1…..good young arm
P Grant Balfour 14…..reasonable salary closing on a contender
P Taijuan Walker 6……elite talent but will 2014 be marked with growing pains
1B Albert Pujols 24……injury risk from here on but if healthy should bounce back and salary is below market

If I trade Trout it has to be for multiple players. What do you think of Uehara or Balfour, especially if Seattle ends up signing Rodney, Nova and Rios and Calhoun I could trade Farquhar with Trout. I'd then have to drop either Gausman or Ramirez and Gomes. I'd then get a catcher at the auction. Catchers tend to be undervalued. Would this trade make my team better? And if you are him would you make this trade?

[Captain Hook]

Put out the trade e-mail. Got 2 responses with one owner interested in Trout only. But as luck would have it he is the owner with the most "cheap" talent that I have some interest in.

BTW….it's a 1 catcher league.

Here are the players of interest from his roster…

1B Brandon Moss 9…..good source of power but BA risk
2B Jurickson Profar 7 (has to be signed to a contract)…..$12 at week MI
OF Coco Crisp 13……lots of speed but not expecting a repeat of the power outburst….and injury-prone
OF Kole Calhoun 3….intriguing speed/power combo but expect regression in his sophomore year.
OF Alex Rios 19 (has to be signed to a contract)….at $24 his salary is below market due to his SB and power hitting in the middle of the order of a potent offense
OF Oswaldo Arcia 4
CM Brett Lawrie 20…..fully priced at current salary
P Koji Uehara 3…..not getting any younger and always an injury risk
P Scott Kazmir 3…..was 2013 lightning in a bottle or the start of a new chapter as he regained mph on his FB
P Ivan Nova 1…..good young arm
P Grant Balfour 14…..reasonable salary closing on a contender
P Taijuan Walker 6……elite talent but will 2014 be marked with growing pains
1B Albert Pujols 24……injury risk from here on but if healthy should bounce back and salary is below market

If I trade Trout it has to be for multiple players. What do you think of Uehara or Balfour, especially if Seattle ends up signing Rodney, Nova and Rios and Calhoun I could trade Farquhar with Trout. I'd then have to drop either Gausman or Ramirez and Gomes. I'd then get a catcher at the auction. Catchers tend to be undervalued. Would this trade make my team better? And if you are him would you make this trade?

Odd question first but I note that while you show a place for minor leaguers you don't have any listed (also none on his list)

As far as the Trout trade IMO you are not getting enough to make it worthwhile for your team - you could get good four players but none are studs and with a maximum number of keepers forces you to drop some worthy players. I would rather extend Trout and trade him away to a contender later in the year (if my team didn't make a serious run) ... now if he could include some terrific minor leaguers that don't impact the keeper numbers then it would be a different story.

For any teams that do trade Trout later in the year I would expect a MUCH bigger haul than what you are suggestion

[da_big_kid_94]

If you are trading Trout, I would want cheap young talent ...not even expensive talent in return ... IMHO the deal must also be cost effective to you ... first, I want neither reliever. Look how many closers finished 2013 the way they started it. The guys you are targeting are, for the most part, all in their 30's - Trout's worth more than that.

In your case, I'd want Arcia, Walker and Kole Calhoun.... and that's non negotiable.

[CubFan]

Perry, to answer your minor league question…..that is a place holder we use during the season for players who were initially rostered, sent to the minors but we want to keep them. We stopped the two round minor league portion of our auction a number of years ago

I too seriously wondered if I'd be getting enough back in trade to make it worthwhile. Kid, while I share your sentiment towards the 3 cheap players you mentioned, I'd need more in return as there is too much risk in these players having a sophomore slump plus none of them come with the "potential stud" tag. The problem is the number of keepers we are allowed….8. If we could protect 10, trading Trout for these 3 plus say Rios and Nova would make more sense.

It's more likely I sign Trout for 1 year with the other players I mentioned.

Kid….are you saying you wouldn't protect Farquahr at $3 even if he heads into the season as the incumbent closer?

[Captain Hook]

I would keep Trout at $40 and unless the flag is approaching trade him for a boatload to a contender in July/Aug - you might even have a small profit with him PLUS you guarantee he will be back in the player pool next year

Maybe someone will bite on Pierzynski plus a player you weren't keeping or marginal keeper for a better keeper - either way just go kill them in the auction

[da_big_kid_94]

Kid….are you saying you wouldn't protect Farquahr at $3 even if he heads into the season as the incumbent closer?

Yup ...Seattle has had three closers in a season and a half and we don't know what Mc Clendon is thinking. All prior accomplishments in Seattle mean zip now. I'd let someone else take the risk or go about trading him and get something good. Also ...remember that dysfunctional front office article.