Keep Cole Hamels?

[Red Leader]

My roster is kind of a mess right now. We are only allowed to have 2 DL spots and I have Rich Harden and John Patterson on my DL, and both are not expected to return earlier than the first week of June, maybe a week after.

My pitching is as follows:

SP: B. Myers
SP: D. Haren
SP: K. Escobar
SP: C. Hamels
RP: J. Papelbon
RP: T. Gordon
P: B. Ryan
P: C. Ray
DL: R. Harden
DL: J. Patterson

Here is the latest report on Hamels:

The Phillies hope to have Cole Hamels (shoulder) make a rehab start on May 30 or 31 and rejoin the rotation five days later.

It would be best to be cautious, but the Phillies appear to be confident that Hamels' shoulder injury isn't significant. "It was better than we initially thought," GM Pat Gillick said. "It could've been more severe. Hopefully, it's no more than a strain."

So that would mean that I have 3 active SP's until Hamels come back (around June 5th according to the news above). I would then have 4 starters for 1 week before my other two SP's came back, and I'd have to make some roster adjustments to activate them, one most likely, would include dropping or trading Hamels.

I'm to the point where I don't think it's worth hanging onto Hamels and potentially losing head to head matchups in pitching for the next 2 weeks. I could get by this week, if I had to, but I'd be severely limited next week, although Haren, and Myers should now both get 2 starts next week.

I could pick up Gil Meche (who has pitched well, especially at home) for tomorrow night's start vs BAL and Rodrigo Lopez (who's awful, and worse on the road), then drop Meche and pick up Felix Hernandez for FRI's start vs Liriano and the Twins. If Hernandez pitches well, I could keep him, if not I could drop him and pick up Matt Cain for SAT's game vs Josh Fogg and the Rockies, in SF, and then plan on keeping Cain until my other two starters come back. What do you think. Go a man short and keep Hamels, or drop him (he won't put up better numbers in the long haul to Felix or Cain)?

Really could use some advice on this.

[IowaRed]

I know Felix hasn't lived up to the hype (who could?) but it isn't because he lacks the talent. I would go get him now before he has a big outing and disappears. If you aren't going to be able to swing a deal for one of your relievers it comes down to Hamels or Escobar. I would drop Hamels because you are in a H2H league and even if he gets healthy you might end up dropping him anyway when your 2 studs come off the DL.

[Red Leader]

I have dropped Hamels and picked up Felix. He starts FRI night vs Francisco Liriano and the Twins. I've got my fingers crossed that one doesn't blow up on me.

Now, I need to focus on the offense:

R H HR RBI SB BB AVG OBP SLG OPS
C V. Martínez
1B P. Fielder
2B C. Utley
3B M. Lowell
SS D. Jeter
OF J. Bay
OF J. Gomes
OF M. Holliday
Util T. Hafner
Util R. Sexson
BN B. Hawpe
BN C. Crisp

As you can see I have two bench players on offense right now. In the end, after Harden and Patterson come back, I only want 1 offensive player on my bench so I can carry an extra SP. I was thinking of offering Sexson / Hawpe for a good power hitter, or Crisp / Hawpe for a good speed guy. One owner in my league has Juan Pierre, Carl Crawford, and Johnny Damon=more speed than he needs. I wasn't sure which player I should target. Crawford stands out as a guy that will steal a boatload of bases, but Damon has better R, H, AVG, OBP, SLG than Crawford. Should I offer Crisp and Hawpe for Damon, or should I try and to clear out more roster space by offering Crisp and Chris Ray (he could use another closer) for Damon and Baez and then drop Baez and pick up someone like Matt Cain? That way I rid myself of 4 closers and have a spot for a 5th starter. My top 5 after my SP's come back would be: Harden, Patterson, Myers, Haren, and Hernandez or Escobar. The problem that still creates is that I have 2 offensive bench players. I could do Hawpe, Crisp and Ray for Carl Crawford and maybe get Jeremy Bonderman back. Hmmm, here's where I'm running into trouble.

I want to trade: 2 of Crisp, Sexson and Hawpe and maybe a RP and get 2 players back, either a real good power hitter and a SP, or a real good speed guy and a SP. Crisp, Hawpe and Ray for Crawford and Bonderman?


Help!

[Red Leader]

Crisp and Ray for Damon? That opens up one spot for my SP's, but still leaves me with 2 offensive players on the bench. Hmmm.

[IowaRed]

If you can get Damon for Crisp and Ray I would jump on it

[Red Leader]

If you can get Damon for Crisp and Ray I would jump on it

Yeah, that sounds like a good deal, but it still leaves me with the problem of 2 offensive bench players and no bench pitchers. Ideally, I need to move 2 hitters for 1 hitter in return and then use the open spot to pick up a SP.

I just think that Crisp + Sexson or Hawpe for Damon by himself is too much to give up. Maybe Crisp + Sexson for Crawford.

So, I think my deals that I need to make are either to give up 2 hitters and get 1 hitter back, or give up Sexson, Crisp, or Hawpe + Ray and get a starter, or give up Escobar and one of those hitters and get a SP back in return.

[Red Leader]

I could try:

Crisp and Hawpe for Jose Reyes.

Who do you think is the best target that will get me steals, and also contribute in other categories: R, H, RBI, BB, AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS?

Damon, Crawford, Reyes, maybe Sizemore?

Beltran, Soriano, David Wright, Figgins, Lopez, Ichiro, and Abreu are all probably not available.

[IowaRed]

I'd be surprised if you could get Reyes for Hawpe and Crisp right now. For all the categories, with an emphasis on steals, I think Damon is the best fit. I really like Sizemore but he obviously won't get you as many SB

[Red Leader]

I'd be surprised if you could get Reyes for Hawpe and Crisp right now. For all the categories, with an emphasis on steals, I think Damon is the best fit. I really like Sizemore but he obviously won't get you as many SB

That's kind of what I thought re: Damon, although Crawford appeals to me as well.

Do you think Crisp + Hawpe is too much to give up for Damon? What about Crisp and Sexson for Crawford? Do you think Damon will clearly outproduce Crisp? That's what I'm concerned about. Damon has a nagging foot injury, and I'm worried that if I deal those two guys away for Damon, I'll get Damon and he'll miss time, or stop running, and Crisp will come back and steal as many, if not more bases than Damon.

[Red Leader]

I told him I'd be interested in dealing Crisp and Sexson for Crawford, and told him that if he didn't want to deal Crawford, I'd be interested in Crisp, Hawpe or Sexson and Escobar for Damon and Bonderman.

Do those deals seem fair? If I did the first, I could use the open position on a SP until my guys come back, keep my 4 closers and have a bench SP (pickup) and a bench offensive player (Hawpe). If I did the second, I'd be able to do the same, keep my 4 closers, have a bench offensive player (Hawpe) and pick up a SP with the open spot until my guys came back.

I could drop which ever SP I picked up after the trade to activate whoever comes off the DL first (Harden, or Patterson) and then drop Felix Hernandez or Escobar when the second SP came back.

Sorry, just trying to think out loud here so I don't make a deal and realize I screwed myself somehow.

[Red Leader]

The guy that has Crawford and Damon (and about 30 other SB guys) is really a cool guy. I've traded with him a couple times already this year. Got Hafner from him (for Baez and Crisp--then Crisp went on the DL the next day, so I agreed to give him Wilkerson and take back Crisp, still feel bad about that deal. I thought it was going to be a lot more fair than what it turned out to be. Baez has totally underachieved from what I thought, and Gagne is coming back a lot quicker than I thought he would, it was thought to be season-ending when he first went on the DL), and then got Jeter from him for Furcal and Bonderman.

He said that he's not opposed to trading either Damon or Crawford. He's going to take a look at what I offered and then get back to me probably tomorrow.

[Red Leader]

He liked the idea of Sexson and Hawpe for Crawford.
He doesn't really want Crisp, so that's fine, Crisp could be my bench guy.

Is that a decent deal for me? Also, should I try to throw Escobar in on my side and try to get Bonderman back to even the trade out more, or just leave it as hitters only? As is (just the hitters), I think he's getting a pretty good deal. Hawpe has been really good so far this year, and Sexson, although he has struggled, is capable of putting up big numbers from here on out.

What do you think?

[Buckeye33]

He liked the idea of Sexson and Hawpe for Crawford.
He doesn't really want Crisp, so that's fine, Crisp could be my bench guy.

Is that a decent deal for me? Also, should I try to throw Escobar in on my side and try to get Bonderman back to even the trade out more, or just leave it as hitters only? As is (just the hitters), I think he's getting a pretty good deal. Hawpe has been really good so far this year, and Sexson, although he has struggled, is capable of putting up big numbers from here on out.

What do you think?

Well, you're getting 1st round talent for a underachieving .250 hitter and a overachieving young newcomer.

I sure wish guys n my 2 money leagues made these kind of trades. I've been tryng to get Crawford for awhile in one league. Guy wanted Papelbon and Glavine.

BTW, without knowing all the details of each league and who has what players, do these deals seem fair? These are some offers floating around in my 2 $$ leagues.

1.) Holliday-Haren for Abreu

2.) Wright-Hawpe-Haren for Manny-Pierre

3.) Zambrano for Glaus-Bonderman

4.) Iguchi-Glaus-Bonderman for Figgins-Buerhle

5.) Zito for Glaus

[Red Leader]

Holliday / Haren for Abreu, I'd definately want to be on the Holliday / Haren side of that deal. It's a passable deal, but it's not the most even it could be.

Wright, Hawpe, Haren (I'm assuming David Wright) for Manny / Pierre. That's passable as well. If the one team really needs SB's it makes more sense. If not, not so even or great of a trade.

Zambrano for Glaus / Bonderman. Hmmm, sure. That's pretty fair.

Iguchi, Glaus, Bonderman for Figgins, Buehrle - Again, if steal are needed, it makes more sense for the guy getting Figgins. Or if they are in a rosters number crunch, but pretty fair.

Zito for Glaus. Yeah, I think that's a pretty fair hitter / pitcher deal.

[Red Leader]

After the long holiday weekend with no action, the other owner finally accepted the deal. 1B Richie Sexson and OF Brad Hawpe for OF Carl Crawford.

I also dropped Kelvim Escobar, who has been in quite a funk lately and picked up Jared Weaver, just to do it. With the open roster spot I get from the trade, I'm going to pick Cole Hamels back up and put him on the DL. I will take Harden off the DL since he's slated to pitch Sunday.

I'm liking my team now. A bunch. Will like it even better when Patterson and Hamels come off the DL.