Mastersball Fantasy Forum

First a question and then some comments.

Assuming LABR stayed at 12 teams, did you notice any difference in the auction due to the addition of another team to the AL?

Another owner liked Seager almost as much as you did. I assume that due to what you paid for him, you are really high on
him. I think there is upside to the site projection. Moving in the walls at SAFECO should help his HR production. I think 20-25
HR is not out of reach.

I was surprised that you went to $2 on Wells and $3 on Ott. Were you just trying to fill a roster spot or are you just higher on
these two players compared to their projection because you think they will get substantially more playing time? I've tried to
save the reserve picks in my league to get some players with upside (Seager last year was an example) and getting an idea of
that type of player helps in that.

I assume that Doolittle and Coke are because they are in a situation where the closer may be shaky or get traded and, if that
happens, they could get the opportunity?

ETA: You could use Smyly getting the 5th spot in the rotation. I think he's got a good shot to replace Porcello as #5 starter
before the season starts.

Not really a drastic difference because the Astros don't have a large number of players you would want on your team. Certainly Altuve is a top 2b in AL only leagues. Maxwell is a starting OF as well. Jason Castro presumably with full time gig is a decent C2 so that helped a team.

We don't really know who the closer will be although someone took Veras because it looks like he will get first shot. I know someone took Josh Fields (before I could add him in reserves) and maybe another reliever. A few of their SP were drafted but I don't like Bud Norris and the others are dreadful for starting in an AL league.

Seager was really my choice of the mid range third basemen as I couldn't get a better one for the price. Plus I reallly like him as do Lawr and Todd because he is a guy who is likely to hit 20+ bombs and get you a couple of steals each month. (don't have my notes with me but will add later my current 3B rankings so you see how he stacks up)

Wells was just a cheap OF option - I backed him up with Carlos Peguero hoping one of them would give me a cheap starting OF with some pop but outfield is the easiest position to find replacements.

Olt is totally different. At that point in the auction I could get him cheap (several prospects went for $7-9 with no more guaranteed playing time or power) and put him at UT. But I drafted a couple of hitters to replace him if he starts the year in AAA which is a good possibility.

You just can't buy everything you want in a league with savy owners.

Spot on with Coke and Doolittle plus they can be replaced via trade or FAAB if they aren't contributing.

I have thought that Smyly would win the 5th spot for Detroit and that they would trade Porcello .... but he is pitching very well and they may have to decide what to to with Smyly but he has options and if he is not in the Tigers' rotation he really should be starting every day at AAA (which would allow me to promote one of my pitching reserves ....actually I thought of drafting Porcello but it would fill only one spot - I would have taken him as my first reserve if he had lasted).

Interesting that so few players from Houston drew interest. It may be because it is a league of experienced
owners, but usually a player with power and a low BA will draw the interest of at least a couple of owners.
Players like Carter and Pena fit that profile, but maybe the interest was lukewarm.

Before the first post, I hadn't paid much attention to the starting pitching. It seems like some of the lower mid
range pitchers went for prices below value. With Cobb going for $9, I would have thought that Hammel would
be somewhere in the $10-$12 instead of $7. And while Buehrle isn't a top tier pitcher, $4 seems too low. I guess
it's because he's boring and doesn't strike out a lot, but I think he's got a higher floor than other pitchers going
for $4. Maybe it's because he's in the AL East. I'm not saying the Yankees and Red Sox are punchless, but
they aren't as intimidating as they were three or four years ago. On paper, you've got a decent staff, although
unless Smyly gets a rotation spot, you might be a little light on strikeouts with Buehrle and Quintana on the
staff.

When you're in that range, it's all about when the player is nominated and who needs what.

It's been my observation that for the last several years in our 12 team AL only league starting pitching, except for the elite tier, gets underbid relative to what they produce in a 5x5 format. I too like Seager and he being eligible at 2B makes him even more valuable.

Seager had only 18 games at 2b last year so eligibility varies - not eligible at 2b in LABR (20)
But LF fences moved in even slightly should help him as will more runners on base.

As far as the SP auction values it is all about WHEN they are nominated in your auction
ex - Hammel if nominated earlier would have been $10+ but late in the auction I was able to get him for $7

As I mentioned before there are not a lot of Houston players you would go out of your way to get in an AL only auction but there were several auctioned off and probably a few more taken in the six man reserve draft (which I don't have access to yet).

Here are all the HOU players auctioned and their LABR AL prices:
Jose Altuve $19
Justin Maxwell $10
Jason Castro $10
Chris Carter $10
Carlos Pena $ 9
Tyler Green $ 9
Brett Wallace $ 6
J.D. Martinez $ 5
Matt Dominguez $ 2
Fernando Martinez $1

and pitchers
Jose Veras $11
Bud Norris $ 4
Lucas Harrell $ 1

Based on those prices, who do you see as providing the most return on investment?

I like Carter $10 and Harrell $1.

Don't like Harrell at all

Carter like Maxwell could return great value IF they can raise their BAvg

Fernando Martinez if he holds the job could earn more dollars than either but won't have as much power as Carter or as many combined HR/SB as Maxwell

Tyler Greene at $9.

If he steals 30 bags, it won't matter what his BA is. Being eligible at both MI spots doesn't hurt either.

Altuve at $19 seems like a steal. I expect him to go for no less than $30 in my keeper league. While the difference between re-draft and keeper is obvious, he is 1 of the 5 best MI's in the AL and there is usually a premium placed on that.