which of these bench guys is most likely to get PT?

[mjlewis]

very deep league, mostly picked over by this point in the reserve draft... which of these, if any, might end up being useful?

Matt Diaz
Greg Dobbs
Austin Kearns
Steve Lombardozzi
Brett Carroll
Joe Mather
Willie Harris
Matt Hague
Matt Carpenter
Erik Komatsu
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Andy Parrino

actually strike Hague from that list, I just took him. Any opinions about the remaining guys? My inclinations are to go with the young guys (Carpenter, Komatsu, Lombardozzi) because maybe they have some upside, but that seems like I might be ignoring someone relevant.

[da_big_kid_94]

Actually , this is grasping at straws. You have to look at why they are available;

Diaz - maybe the best bet if for no other reason he's been in Atlanta for a while and Heyward may not bounce back.
Greg Dobbs - a 3B on a team that has Hanley Ramirez playing out of position.
Austin Kearns - possible but what does he have left in the tank? The shakiest OF position for the Marlins is center - and he can't play there.
Steve Lombardozzi - not unless someone gets hurt.
Brett Carroll - see Lombardozzi
Joe Mather - the entire Cub situation is a cluster f**k. REALLY far down on the depth chart. Let's face it - they cut and resigned Blake De Witt and HE'S ahead of Mather.
Willie Harris - a 5th OF at best - Who's he going to jump ahead of?
Matt Hague
Matt Carpenter - see much PT behind the WS MVP?
Erik Komatsu - a rule 5 guy who made the team - and who can be sent packing at a moment's notice - especially when Schumaker and Craig get healthy

Some of these guys will be sent down when others on their team come off the DL. There really isn't anything to see here.

[Todd Zola]

Unfortunately, in some leagues, nothing to see here is all that is available to look at.

I'm not a huge fan of coach-speak, but the word couple weeks ago was Lomdardozzi was going to see time all over the place, IF and OF so that is where my dart will go.

Next is Jerry Hairston for me, he always finds his AB, though he is fighting with Adam Kennedy, who always finds his at bats.

[da_big_kid_94]

Unfortunately, in some leagues, nothing to see here is all that is available to look at.

I'm not a huge fan of coach-speak, but the word couple weeks ago was Lomdardozzi was going to see time all over the place, IF and OF so that is where my dart will go.

Next is Jerry Hairston for me, he always finds his AB, though he is fighting with Adam Kennedy, who always finds his at bats.

That's true, but it's similar to a poker hand of 2/7 off suit in the hole and you're in the small blind. Calling the big blind isn't going to make your hand any better. I'll wait for another hand where my chances are better, thank you ...even if it means I get no action right now. This MAY be a question you ask in early June ...it certainly isn't one you ask before some of these teams have played a game yet.

[Todd Zola]

Unfortunately, in some leagues, nothing to see here is all that is available to look at.

I'm not a huge fan of coach-speak, but the word couple weeks ago was Lomdardozzi was going to see time all over the place, IF and OF so that is where my dart will go.

Next is Jerry Hairston for me, he always finds his AB, though he is fighting with Adam Kennedy, who always finds his at bats.

That's true, but it's similar to a poker hand of 2/7 off suit in the hole and you're in the small blind. Calling the big blind isn't going to make your hand any better. I'll wait for another hand where my chances are better, thank you ...even if it means I get no action right now. This MAY be a question you ask in early June ...it certainly isn't one you ask before some of these teams have played a game yet.

Unless, of course, you have an open roster spot and need to fill it now, not June.

[da_big_kid_94]

Some times, it's better to leave the roster spot open than to fill it with something that is more likely to hurt you than help you. As you yourself have alluded to many times in the past, sometimes the answer is subtraction over addition.

[Todd Zola]

The only place you can be hurt is batting average - personally I'll take the counting stats and roll the dice with the average, it is too fickle a category. Plus, the perception we get when we eyeball a batting average could be a bit off -- with better ERA & WHIP comes a lower BA. That is, the team totals for BA are anywhere between 10 and 20 points lower than they were a few years ago. A .240 used to be HORRIBLE. Now, almost everyone will have a .240 hitter on their team.

It is all about context - I would LOVE to have a couple of these guys available this week for my NL Tout Wars team as I have to replace Brett Wallace and Mike Fontenot. If I was forced to play one of these guys on my 15-team mixed NFBC team, I would be bummed, but i would do it in lieu of a zero for counting stats in HR/R/RBI/SB.

[da_big_kid_94]

I understand the living, breathing body strategy - but realistically ....which one of these guys are you thinking is going to catch lightning in a Coca-Cola bottle this week? You pick any of these names for 1 week only? Especially when it's the first week of the season? You have 2/7 off suit in the hole.

[Captain Hook]

I understand the living, breathing body strategy - but realistically ....which one of these guys are you thinking is going to catch lightning in a Coca-Cola bottle this week? You pick any of these names for 1 week only? Especially when it's the first week of the season? You have 2/7 off suit in the hole.

Your point/analogy only makes sense in a league where you can't make subsequent moves - most people don't play with those rules any more.

[southpaw]

I understand the living, breathing body strategy - but realistically ....which one of these guys are you thinking is going to catch lightning in a Coca-Cola bottle this week? You pick any of these names for 1 week only? Especially when it's the first week of the season? You have 2/7 off suit in the hole.

Sometimes the flop comes 7 7 2

[mjlewis]

yeah, it's not that I really want any of these guys or that I'm going to be relying on them... but the reason I made this list is that these are the best players available in my reserve draft (among current major leaguers, anyway). The hitters taken in the last round or so were Travis Buck, Laynce Nix, Reed Johnson, Jose Constanza, Chris Denorfia, Jeff Baker, and Matt Carpenter. So if I have an injury, I'd like to have someone to get active in case there isn't a good minor leaguer that gets called up that isn't already owned.

Scott Hairston and Jeremy Hermida are also available actually -- is Hairston going to get much of the PT with Torres out or do you think they're going to use Nieuwenhuis (who also went last round)?

I am probably going to take Lombardozzi though and then just start grabbing prospects. I already have Arenado and Tim Wheeler so I will hope for some injuries or suckage in Colorado.

- Mike

[Captain Hook]

Hairston will at best split time with N'eiss (and always gets hurt)

I like Lombardozzi and I will tell you why I took him in the reserve round of a high stakes NL league that Todd and I play in - I think both Desmond (despite a nice 3-5 in the opener) and Danny Bautista are BA risks that will turn into playing time risks. I would have bet that next year Lombardozzi is starting at either 2B or SS......and if one of those guys fails miserably out of the gate it may be sooner.