Looking for input on my Fantasy baseball team

[Gainesville Celtic]

I'm a longtime Fantasy Basketball player -- but this is my first foray into baseball (some friends had a last minute cancellation).

I could name you most of the Red Sox and maybe 8 other players, so i went off the ESPN and Yahoo rankings.

Anyone have feedback on:
- what my team is lacking in?
- who might be expendable to fix those deficits
- what i'm over- or under-stocked with?
- which 5 guys might be keepers (learned as the draft was starting taht it's a keeper league... don't know that that would have changed a thing on how i drafted).

TP's for any feedback thats more than the "your team is good" variety!

I probably need another Outfielder, right?
Introducing THE EL GUAPOS:

C - McCann, ATL
C - Pierzynski, CWS

1B - Cabrera, DET
1B/2B - Lopez, SEA

2B - Pedroia, BOS

3B - Encarnacion, CIN
3B - Zimmerman, WAS

SS - Hardy, MIL
SS - Peralta, CLE

OF - Ellsbury, BOS
OF - Hart, MIL
OF- Upton, ARI

---------------------------

SP - Peavy, SD
SP - Beckett, BOS
SP - Billingsly, LAD
SP - Meche, KC
SP - Buehrle, CWS
SP - Volstad, FLA

RP - Ryan, TOR
RP - Hanrahan, WAS
RP - Wheeler, TB

[yall hate]

what is the scoring?  is it head to head or points? etc...

you should get rid of Dan Wheeler.

Middle relievers are ok to have, but you could drop him and then wait for someone to be hot and grab them ... some middle reliever every year is a no body who is lights out.

I would grab another OF, although without knowing who is available it is hard to say who...or another guy who is scheduled to get saves on a regular basis.

[beantownboy171]

I imagine this is a 10 team league. correct? Ummm, Pierzynski doesn't offer much, you could use some additions to bolster your outfield and ss, which are your weakspots. Your relievers look decent but bj ryan is very injury prone so if i were you i'd drop wheeler and pick a lesser known closer like heath bell if he's still avaliable.

Gil Meche and Buehrle are both pretty inconsistent but Peavy, beckett and billingsly are all good enough to make up for that. Your teams not bad. But try to pick up someone for your outfield definitly.

Also I wanted input on a couple of trades that i may do.

Carlos Delgado
for
Corey Hart

and

Chen Ming-Wang and Grady Sizemore
for
Carlos Lee and Josh Hamilton

(Im not gonna tell you which side I am so i don't change your perception.)

[Amonkey]

Last season I designed a team with lots of power hitters and bad defense.  I had no pitching, but I was always winning in the HR and RBI categories.  This year I want to imitate the Asian teams.  I want to make a team full of high hitters/RBIs, high stolen bases and some pitching. 

I don't really know baseball as well as basketball and football.  Any suggestions on players that fit my criteria?  We already went through the draft, but I am going to make some trades to go with my philosopyhy.  So my question is who are the players with high RBI, high hits, high steals and good batting average.  Don't need high HR.  Thanks guys.

[Donoghus]

Also I wanted input on a couple of trades that i may do.

Carlos Delgado
for
Corey Hart

and

Chen Ming-Wang and Grady Sizemore
for
Carlos Lee and Josh Hamilton

(Im not gonna tell you which side I am so i don't change your perception.)

1)  Both can be maddening fantasy players.  I've had Delgado in the past (a year in which he killed me) and I'm rolling the dice on Hart this year.  To be honest, I like Hart in this deal.  He's younger, he steals some bases, and has decent power numbers.  The strikeouts are a near wash and Delgado's power numbers are slightly better but I like Hart here.  However, he's a good #2 OF.  Don't want him to be the guy in your OF.  Delgado is 36 and coming off the WBC.  He just scares me.

2)  I like the Lee/Hamilton side of this trade.  Solid power guys and a great foundation in the OF.  Wang is coming off an injury-plagued '08 and there is some reason for concern.  Also, when healthy, he'll grab you a lot of wins but his K's are less than desirable.  IMO, he's a good 3-4 starter on a fantasy team right now.  Giving up Sizemore's numbers are tough but I think Hamilton and Lee can more than compensate.

[beantownboy171]

Also I wanted input on a couple of trades that i may do.

Carlos Delgado
for
Corey Hart

and

Chen Ming-Wang and Grady Sizemore
for
Carlos Lee and Josh Hamilton

(Im not gonna tell you which side I am so i don't change your perception.)

1)  Both can be maddening fantasy players.  I've had Delgado in the past (a year in which he killed me) and I'm rolling the dice on Hart this year.  To be honest, I like Hart in this deal.  He's younger, he steals some bases, and has decent power numbers.  The strikeouts are a near wash and Delgado's power numbers are slightly better but I like Hart here.  However, he's a good #2 OF.  Don't want him to be the guy in your OF.  Delgado is 36 and coming off the WBC.  He just scares me.

2)  I like the Lee/Hamilton side of this trade.  Solid power guys and a great foundation in the OF.  Wang is coming off an injury-plagued '08 and there is some reason for concern.  Also, when healthy, he'll grab you a lot of wins but his K's are less than desirable.  IMO, he's a good 3-4 starter on a fantasy team right now.  Giving up Sizemore's numbers are tough but I think Hamilton and Lee can more than compensate.

Might as well reveal it right now, i did both of the trades, and i was on the lee/hamilton side, and the delgado side. Prolly unfair to make you decide without knowing my team situation, but i largey agree with what you said. This is my team. (im in a eight team league, head to head category point system)

C- Geovany Soto

1B- Aubrey Huff  Carlos Delgado

2B- Ian Kinsler Brandon Phillips

3B- Aramis Ramirez Mark Derosa

OF- Josh Hamilton, Carlos Quentin, Carlos Lee, Curtis Granderson, Bobby Abreu, Milton Bradley

(Trust me i know i need to trade some of them, there is also a Util. position so i have carlos lee there)

SP- CC Sabathia, Rich Harden, Edinson Volquez, Chad Billingsly
RP- Heath Bell, Joakim Soria, Francisco Cordero

So thats my team. Im pretty weak at the corner positions in my opinion which is the reason why i made the decision to trade an excess OF for delgado. Any advice?

[beantownboy171]

also, franicisco cordero or brian fuentes?

[yall hate]

also, franicisco cordero or brian fuentes?

Fuentes.... He will have more save opportunities.  Cordero has been awful this spring (doesnt mean a lot, but I bet Fuentes is better this year)

[yall hate]

Carlos Delgado
for
Corey Hart

and

Chen Ming-Wang and Grady Sizemore
for
Carlos Lee and Josh Hamilton

I would have done the Hart deal in a second (depending of course on your 1b/of situation).

I would have wanted to be on the Sizemore side of that deal.  He is the best player in the deal.  I expect Hamilton to regress a bit.  Lee has been awful awful this year (spring training only, but garbage so far)
Wang doesnt get a ton of k's or any of that, but his era is generally pretty good, he gets a ton of W's, and he doesnt walk many. 

[Gainesville Celtic]

I imagine this is a 10 team league. correct? Ummm, Pierzynski doesn't offer much, you could use some additions to bolster your outfield and ss, which are your weakspots. Your relievers look decent but bj ryan is very injury prone so if i were you i'd drop wheeler and pick a lesser known closer like heath bell if he's still avaliable.

Gil Meche and Buehrle are both pretty inconsistent but Peavy, beckett and billingsly are all good enough to make up for that. Your teams not bad. But try to pick up someone for your outfield definitly.

12 team league, h2h

thanks for the input. I'm guessing its more important to have 4 OF than 2 Catchers

[Roy Hobbs]

I'll ask for the same type of help.  I'm a rookie, playing in a keeper league.  H2H, 12 teams, 2 DL spots.

C: Jorge Posada
1B: Albert Pujols
2B: Kelly Johnson, Kazuo Matsui
3B: Chipper Jones, Ryan Zimmerman
SS: J.J. Hardy, Yunel Escobar
OF: Adam Dunn (1B), Nelson Cruz
OF: Bobby Abreu
OF: Conor Jackson (1B)
Util: Lance Berkman (1B)

SP: Jake Peavy
SP: Roy Oswalt
RP: Kerry Wood
RP: Matt Capps
P: Ervin Santana
P: Edison Volquez
P: Gil Meche
P: Brandon Lyon

I'm a little bummed that Berkman isn't OF eligible this year (since he was one of my keepers), but oh well.  I'm wondering if I need a backup C.  Any thoughts?  I'd love a stud reliever, too.  Where else am I weak?  Do I need a more reliable backup OF?

Thoughtful responses will be rewarded with TPs.

[yall hate]

I'll ask for the same type of help.  I'm a rookie, playing in a keeper league.  H2H, 12 teams, 2 DL spots.

C: Jorge Posada
1B: Albert Pujols
2B: Kelly Johnson, Kazuo Matsui
3B: Chipper Jones, Ryan Zimmerman
SS: J.J. Hardy, Yunel Escobar
OF: Adam Dunn (1B), Nelson Cruz
OF: Bobby Abreu
OF: Conor Jackson (1B)
Util: Lance Berkman (1B)

SP: Jake Peavy
SP: Roy Oswalt
RP: Kerry Wood
RP: Matt Capps
P: Ervin Santana
P: Edison Volquez
P: Gil Meche
P: Brandon Lyon

I'm a little bummed that Berkman isn't OF eligible this year (since he was one of my keepers), but oh well.  I'm wondering if I need a backup C.  Any thoughts?  I'd love a stud reliever, too.  Where else am I weak?  Do I need a more reliable backup OF?

Thoughtful responses will be rewarded with TPs.

you should probably trade me pujols.

Even though we are competitors here, I wouldnt think you need a backup Catcher (especially since there arent very many available).

your closers are a bit shaky (woods injury history, capps isnt great, and lyon will end up with a high era) but so are mine, haha.

you are 'weak' in the sb category, but other then that it is a pretty solid team.

[Roy Hobbs]

Thanks, YH.  I definitely punted in SBs.  Also, I'm apparently expecting big things from the Braves infield this year.   

[yall hate]

In the same league that Roy posted his roster from, this is mine.  I took on a bunch of guys whose stock was down this year compared to a year ago... (Cano, Tulowitzki, Chris Young on offense), and some injury concerns with the pitching (Young, Wang, Cordero, Gallardo, Bedard). If even half of those 8 players perform as they either have in the past, or where they have been expected to, I should be all set, but if injuries remain true, I could be in some big trouble.

Aside from Saves, I think I am pretty solid. 

C         
Russell Martin
(LAD - C,3B)
1B         
Prince Fielder
(Mil - 1B)
2B         
Robinson Canó
(NYY - 2B)
3B         
Evan Longoria
(TB - 3B)
SS         
Troy Tulowitzki
(Col - SS)
OF         
Alfonso Soriano
(ChC - OF)
OF         
Nate McLouth
(Pit - OF)
OF         
Andre Ethier
(LAD - OF)
Util         
Adrián González
(SD - 1B)
BN         
Chris Young
(Ari - OF)
BN         
Willy Taveras  (solely on my roster for SB's)
(Cin - OF)
BN         
Coco Crisp (almost solely on my roster for SB's, plus I think he should be pretty good this year...)
(KC - OF)

SP         
Cole Hamels
(Phi - SP)
SP         
Dan Haren
(Ari - SP)
RP         
Francisco Cordero
(Cin - RP)
RP         
Heath Bell
(SD - RP)
P         
Yovani Gallardo
(Mil - SP)
P         
Chris Young
(SD - SP)
P         
Chien-Ming Wang
(NYY - SP)
BN         
Erik Bedard
(Sea - SP)
BN         
Johnny Cueto
(Cin - SP)
           

[Donoghus]

In the same league that Roy posted his roster from, this is mine.  I took on a bunch of guys whose stock was down this year compared to a year ago... (Cano, Tulowitzki, Chris Young on offense), and some injury concerns with the pitching (Young, Wang, Cordero, Gallardo, Bedard). If even half of those 8 players perform as they either have in the past, or where they have been expected to, I should be all set, but if injuries remain true, I could be in some big trouble.

Aside from Saves, I think I am pretty solid. 

C         
Russell Martin
(LAD - C,3B)
1B         
Prince Fielder
(Mil - 1B)
2B         
Robinson Canó
(NYY - 2B)
3B         
Evan Longoria
(TB - 3B)
SS         
Troy Tulowitzki
(Col - SS)
OF         
Alfonso Soriano
(ChC - OF)
OF         
Nate McLouth
(Pit - OF)
OF         
Andre Ethier
(LAD - OF)
Util         
Adrián González
(SD - 1B)
BN         
Chris Young
(Ari - OF)
BN         
Willy Taveras  (solely on my roster for SB's)
(Cin - OF)
BN         
Coco Crisp (almost solely on my roster for SB's, plus I think he should be pretty good this year...)
(KC - OF)

SP         
Cole Hamels
(Phi - SP)
SP         
Dan Haren
(Ari - SP)
RP         
Francisco Cordero
(Cin - RP)
RP         
Heath Bell
(SD - RP)
P         
Yovani Gallardo
(Mil - SP)
P         
Chris Young
(SD - SP)
P         
Chien-Ming Wang
(NYY - SP)
BN         
Erik Bedard
(Sea - SP)
BN         
Johnny Cueto
(Cin - SP)
           

Does your league have a utility spot? I'm assuming Gonzalez would be there.  If Tulowitzki can bounce back, your offense will be real good.  That's a pretty solid outfield you have there.  Kind've surprised you could get that in a 12 team league.  I took a flier on Chris Young myself as my 4th OF.  One of those low risk, high reward guys.  Seems like you're relying on bounce backs for the majority of your pitching staff.  Pretty risky but I have to think at least one (maybe two) of those guys will bounce back fine.  Could be in good shape.