I'm in a fantasy baseball keeper league. I'd like to get some of your takes on a trade I'm pondering. First a little league background info. Its a 6x5, with R, HR, RBI, SB, OBP, SLG. It's a keeper league where you keep up to 5 players. When you keep a player, you lose that round draft pick that you drafted the kept players in. For example, I might keep Utley, Dunn, Granderson, Lincecum, and Victorino and I won't get to draft in rounds 1, 4, 5, 8, or 13 next year.
I'm in first place by about 11 points but the guy behind me recently got Manny and Hamilton back. What do you guys think about me proposing this trade: Jason Bartlett and Chase Utley for Hanley Ramirez. Utley and Han-Ram are both first round keepers, Bartlett is a 10th. I'd be able to slide Chone Figgins into 2B and Thome into DH, so don't think I'd drop off any this year. I think the other guy would improve too this year, since he has Martin Prado at 2B.
Keeper-wise, is this a good move for me? Here are the stat lines this year:
Ramirez 58 15 62 15 .409 .555
Utley 68 21 67 9 .417 .547
Ramirez has normally been regarded as the clear better fantasy player, but that has a lot to do with a higher BA. They are pretty equal in terms of OBP, which my league uses. Ramirez is considerably younger, but there is a 3 year max for keeping players. Ramirez also used to bat leadoff, but now is batting 3rd and doesn't seem to have many good players around him in the lineup and seems to be losing SB opportunities. Last year this would have been a no-brainer, but I'm having second thoughts now.
Please give me some of your thoughts!!! Thanks!