Mastersball Fantasy Forum

In one of my AL-only leagues, Joe Nathan was released. Our FAAB is on Wednesday;'s so there is time to consider all options but I find it hard to believe he won't assume the closer role again. Based on today's Blog, Lawr totally agrees. My current "save gatherers" are Rauch, Farnsworth & Valverde. I guess Valverde is the safest of the three. Assuming you would made a bid on Nathan, who would you release? For what it's worth, I'm a tied for the lead. In saves, I have a 10 in saves with 11 saves. We are a 10-team league.

Still find it hard to believe that Nathan was released.

I'd set Farnsworth adrift off his track record. As for Nathan? I think many people are listening to what the scouts are saying that his stuff isn't all the way back yet. Again, IMHO, we get spoiled about such things. He's less than 14 months removed from TJ surgery and people (generic, not specific) wonder what's wrong with him. Better he gets a few months more to regain his stuff if he can rather than turn into B.J. Ryan.

Completely anecdotal, and upon further review this is an opinion I should have shared in Platinum but I don't think I ever did, but I picked up Capps in a lot of leagues that matter (AL Tout, NFBC) because I was not convinced Nathan would come back.

I am not saying this as a slight to his work ethic, I know nothing about that, simply the fact that he is older and his ability to rehab at the level of someone younger may not be there. Think about it, those recovering from TJS are usually much younger and the rehab is pretty strenuous. The reason many come back better than before is not increased strength or elasticity in their bo-bo, but the fact that during rehad, they exercised muscles that they had previously "ignored", etc. Again, I don't know, but my supposition was perhaps since he is older, Nathan's body may not be physically able to recover as quickly as other TJS guys.

I guess what I am saying here is i don't think it is a matter of a couple more weeks and Nathan is his old self. I think it may take longer than that, if it even comes to be at all.

viper wrote:In one of my AL-only leagues, Joe Nathan was released. Our FAAB is on Wednesday;'s so there is time to consider all options but I find it hard to believe he won't assume the closer role again. Based on today's Blog, Lawr totally agrees. My current "save gatherers" are Rauch, Farnsworth & Valverde. I guess Valverde is the safest of the three. Assuming you would made a bid on Nathan, who would you release? For what it's worth, I'm a tied for the lead. In saves, I have a 10 in saves with 11 saves. We are a 10-team league.

Still find it hard to believe that Nathan was released.

I would add Nathan but NOT at the cost of dropping one of the others.
Can you add Nathan and reserve him?

And I am not sure why you are surprised that a closer coming off an injury who was replaced would be dropped?

no reserves - old school.

I was surprised figuring there must be some other MR on his team he could have dropped. But I just now looked at his nine pitchers and other moves of that day. This league uses IP [3 of my 4 do this] so starters are pretty much wiped clean at the draft or soon thereafter. It can seem at times that WHIP and ERA don't count. I looked at all his moves that day. He released Joba, League, Nathan & Balfour. He activated Morrow and added Colon, Dice-K & Chatwood. He becomes the third team in the league without a closer.

Now I realize, I should not have been surprised. Thanks for the head slap boss.