AL rookies

[juggernaut17]

I play in a standard 5x5 12 team AL only auction league with 5 veteran keepers and 3 rookies. We have a 17 man bench and $100 faab. Iwould appreciate any insight you may have regarding the rookies I have on staff to choose from. THANK YOU
Ronald Torreyes 2b Houston
Delino DeShields of Tex
Jorge Alfaro c Tex
Raul Alcantara p Oak
Eduardo Rodriguez p Bos
Mike Foltynewicz p Houston

[Captain Hook]

I play in a standard 5x5 12 team AL only auction league with 5 veteran keepers and 3 rookies. We have a 17 man bench and $100 faab. Iwould appreciate any insight you may have regarding the rookies I have on staff to choose from. THANK YOU
Ronald Torreyes 2b Houston
Delino DeShields of Tex
Jorge Alfaro c Tex
Raul Alcantara p Oak
Eduardo Rodriguez p Bos

I took Folty off your list because he was traded to ATL/NL

You have one sure fire, potential STUD keeper and that is Alfaro - do NOT lose him
BUT to answer the question fully I need to understand when/how you get new prospects? (not yet rookies)
After freezing three do you draft new ones? If you keep three does that mean you don't get any picks where if you kept one you would get two new picks?

All these are plausible but I need to know to tell you to keep anyone other than Alfaro

[juggernaut17]

After the auction we have a serpentine draft for 11 players who could be rookies or bench. Rookies have to be very hot to get drafted early since there is need for decent bench players in such a deep league. We expand our bench to 14 the 1st of July and to 17 the first of Sept.. we have a weekly auction, but very few rookies come available till Sept. Since they are already on rosters. Most decent rookies are obtained when a team dumps.

[juggernaut17]

I should add that the only time we can aquire someone outside the active major league roster is draft day. Free agents available through the season that we can aquire in our weekly auction are all on 25 man rosters. You can imagine how slim the plckings are in this league!

[juggernaut17]

Also, we can keep a maximum 8 players that can be split 5 + 3 or 4+4 veterans to rookies/ prospects. We can buy and draft anybody we want after filling the regular roster requirements. Playerys aquired must be associated with a major league team.

[Captain Hook]

Okay, if there is no downside and you have to/want to keep three players I would keep:

1) Jorge Alfaro
2) Eduardo Rodriguez
3) Delino DeShields

[Captain Hook]

and PS if you think pickings are thin in your league my AL keeper league has unlimited minor league slots (you do pay $5 each for each one you retain) and you get five new ones each year after the auction. You also draft three reserves (ML players) after you buy your 23 starters in the auction and teams have an unlimited DL squad (although players do need to be transacted once they are off the DL for two weeks) and players you have active or on reserve can be "sent to the minors" if that is what their ML team does with them.

[juggernaut17]

Thank you very much. Sounds Iike I got thr right guy for advice, with big emphasis on prospects in your league. Most of our 11 draft picks for reserve players following the auction are active players. Most years the first free agent list will feature 2 catchers and a few dozen relief pitchers. Not a single starter or any other position player. Though there is a lot of satisfaction in spotting talent early and bringing them up through the ranks, I find there is more disapointment than joy. Emotionally, it's more profitable to set my expectations low.

[juggernaut17]

Ishould correct my numbers regarding free agaents. It used to be that way when we drated a reserve bench of 17 all at once on auction day. We have since changed that to 11 and increasing to 17 through the season.