Trade Advice?

[Yachtzee]

Hello Redszoners. I just joined a keeper league this year, taking over a team that was fairly bereft of talent and ended up drafting this team, with Pedro and Zambrano as my keepers from last year. I've been offered a trade, Renteria and Jason Schmidt for Michael Young. Is that a worthwhile trade? Are Renteria and Schmidt on the downside yet?

Starters
C J. Varitek (Bos - C)
1B A. Dunn (Cin - 1B, OF)
2B F. López(Cin - 2B,SS)
3B A. Ramírez (ChC - 3B)
SS M. Young (Tex - SS)
OF J. Damon (NYY - OF)
OF J. Edmonds (StL - OF)
OF C. Crisp (Bos - OF)
Util M. Alou (SF - OF)

Bench
R. Winn (SF - OF)
M. Loretta (Bos - 2B)
S. Hillenbrand (Tor - 1B,3B)
W. Taveras (Hou - OF)

Pitchers
P. Martínez(NYM - SP)
C. Zambrano (ChC - SP)
C. Cordero (Was - RP)
R. Dempster (ChC - SP,RP)
C. Lee (Cle - SP)
F. Liriano (Min - SP)
C. Capuano (Mil - SP)
J. Papelbon (Bos - SP,RP)

DL A. Burnett (Tor - SP)

[Red Leader]

You have a very, very good team right now. The players you could afford to lose are: Alou, and your bench players for hitters. Your pitchers are great. Papelbon is now the Sox closer from here on out, so you're set for closers. Your SP's are pretty good, especially if Liriano breaks into the rotation at some point and Burnett gets healthy.

The only move I might consider making is to package a SP with Varitek and try to get a younger catcher for future years, but this year, I think you're in GREAT shape. Well done! Now go get another Swenson's burger.


...oh, and I forgot to answer the question directly. No, I would not even think of making that proposed trade.

[Yachtzee]

That's what I figured. Thanks.

By the way, thanks to the power of XM, I was parked at Swenson's tonight, listening to Marty and Joe call the Reds game. Not a bad way to catch the game.

[medford]

Mmmmm Swenson's. Going to Akron this weekend, might have to swing into one.

[Red Leader]

That's what I figured. Thanks.

By the way, thanks to the power of XM, I was parked at Swenson's tonight, listening to Marty and Joe call the Reds game. Not a bad way to catch the game.

I'm jealous. We're going up to the in-laws over Easter, and I'm going to drive about 20 miles out of my way to pay a visit to Swenson's while I'm up there. It'll probably be closed.

[JohnnyBench]

Papelbon is now the Sox closer from here on out,

Red Leader, are you sure that he is defintely the closer? I have not read anywhere that Francona has named him as such. I'm not a Foulke fan by any means, and I think they would be better off with Papelbon, but Francona sounds like he is still going to give Foulke the chance.

He is a free agent in my league and we have a bidding process for free agents every Sunday and if he is definitely the closer, I will put a big chunk in for him.

Any help would be great.

[Red Leader]

Red Leader, are you sure that he is defintely the closer? I have not read anywhere that Francona has named him as such. I'm not a Foulke fan by any means, and I think they would be better off with Papelbon, but Francona sounds like he is still going to give Foulke the chance.

He is a free agent in my league and we have a bidding process for free agents every Sunday and if he is definitely the closer, I will put a big chunk in for him.

Any help would be great.

Well, Francona hasn't flat out said, it's his job so we won't know for sure until the Sox next save opp. I'll see if I can find an article for you that almost convinced me that Foulke would no longer be the closer, though. Here it is:


http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSo...ticleid=133846


Having said all that, and read that article, my thoughts are that Papelbon will be the closer going forward. If he were to really struggle, then I could see Foulke getting his role back, but if Papelbon pitches well, I think it's his job the rest of the season. Even if he's not the full time closer now, he's pretty much guaranteed to get a shot at some point this season, and if you don't get him now, you won't get him. So my advice would be to get him now, while you can and hope that things continue to go in his favor, as they appear to be going...