Keeper League: Which 8 players would you keep for next year?

[savafan]

I know it is still early, but it's something to think about. I'm in a 12 team keeper league, and I can protect 8 players on my roster at the end of the year. Here is how my team stands now:

C Josh Willingham
1B Todd Helton
2B Brandon Phillips
3B Joe Crede
SS Felipe Lopez
IF Albert Pujols
IF Prince Fielder
LF Alfonso Soriano
CF Ken Griffey Jr.
RF Alex Rios
OF Austin Kearns
UTIL Brad Hawpe
BN Ryan Zimmerman
BN Curtis Granderson

SP Kris Benson
SP Roy Oswalt
SP Aaron Harang
SP Mike Maroth
SP Cole Hamels
RP Fernando Rodney
RP Tim Worrell
RP Todd Coffey
P Todd Jones
P Brett Myers
BN Brett Tomko
DL Ben Sheets

[Patrick Bateman]

Pujols
Fielder
Oswalt
Lopez
Willimgham
Myers
Helton
Hamels

[Buckeye33]

Pujols
Hamels
Sheets
Oswalt
Soriano
Lopez
Fielder
Rios, Helton, or Myers

[CTA513]

Albert Pujols
Todd Helton
Alfonso Soriano
Roy Oswalt
Ben Sheets
Felipe Lopez
Prince Fielder
Brett Myers, Alex Rios, or Cole Hamels


I couldnt decide on the last spot, but you should atleast keep: Pujols, Helton, Soriano, Oswalt and Sheets.... Sheets is a risk to have because of health problems, but when he does pitch he usually pitches good.

Myers is a toss up, hes been pitching good but I looked and seen that he gave up 31 homeruns last year.

[savafan]

I would probably keep Hamels over Myers. I just picked up Hamels off of the waiver wire with the 12th waiver priority. Everyone else in the league must have been sleeping. Pujols is a given.

[IowaRed]

Pujols
Lopez
Helton
Fielder
Oswalt
Soriano
Sheets
Myers

Depending on how the rest of the year goes Hamels, Willingham, Rios, and Hawpe are all possibilities

[reds44]

Pujols
Fielder
Oswalt
Lopez
Willimgham
Myers
Helton
Hamels

[edabbs44]

Lopez, Fielder, Pujols, Oswalt, Soriano and Myers are locks.

Willingham is out b/c he loses C eligibility next year.

I think Rios is #7, he is really coming into his own. Looking at a consistent 25-25.

#8 is between Hawpe and Hamels. It depends on how long you can keep them for and how they finish the year.

[Johnny Footstool]

I agree w/ edabbs44 on Willingham. He's valuable as a catcher; as an OF, he's middle-of-the-pack.

LOCKS:
Oswalt
Sheets
Myers
Pujols
Lopez
Helton
Soriano

After that, I'd choose one of the following based on how they perform over the rest of this season:

Hawpe, Fielder, Hamels, Rios, Crede

I like Hawpe better than Rios.

[medford]

Well lets start w/ the locks baring any major circumstances:

Pujols
Oswalt

So that leaves 6 guys. Now lets look at the guys that will most likely be locks by the end of the season based upon history/expected progression:

FeLo
Ben Sheets (mostly dependent upon Injury)
Brett Meyers

So now were down to 3 slots to protect. Most of this will depend on how players do this year, and where you expect them to be drafted. I'm guessing in a keeper league (I've never been in one) your young guys that break out this year (possible Kearns, Fielder, Hammels) will likely go ahead of older guys w/ longer track records like Helton in a draft.

If Coffey is eventually converted into the Closer's role, he might become one to consider. It doesn't appear that you many top end closers, and I'm guessing that the top ones are usually locked up. If he doesn't move into the closers role for much time this year, he would certainly be one to look to draft a little earlier than expected next year if he's still on a path to Close for the Reds.

If Willingham losses his Catcher tag, then you can drop him.

Soriano is probably a near lock, however probably much better if he has a 2nd base tag in addition to the OF tag.

Kearns, Granderson, Rios, and Fielder could all break out in a big way and be considered locks by the time the year is up.

[RedsManRick]

How are keepers handled? Draft or Auction?

If this is an auction league or if you lose a draft pick based on draft spot, then you keep based on value relative to cost. If it's a draft where everybody simply loses their first 8 picks and you go from there, you just want best talent. I'll assume it's the latter and say:

Helton
Lopez
Pujols
Fielder
Soriano
Oswalt
Sheets
Hamels or Myers (whoever performs better)

Pitching is just so unpredictable relative to hitters.