Ways to improve my team

[Boss-Hog]

Hi all,

I'm pretty much a fantasy baseball novice, having only been in a couple of leagues before (I'm more of a fantasy football type). Anyway, I decided to get in a league with some of my friends from school on Yahoo, and here's my team (in only a seven team league):

C Mike Piazza
1B Jason Giambi
2B Jose Vidro
3B Hank Blalock
SS A-Rod (he's still listed as a SS on Yahoo...)
OF Bobby Abreu
OF Lance Berkman
OF Johnny Damon
Util Mike Sweeney

Bench Orlando Cabrera
Bench Larry Walker (DL)
Bench Marcus Giles
Bench A.J. Pierzynski

SP Pedro Martinez
SP Mark Mulder
RP Jason Isringhausen
RP Octavio Dotel
P Roy Oswalt
P Kip Wells
P Joe Nathan
Bench Brandon Webb

How would you go above improving this team? I know my OF is relatively weak, but I wanted to get Damon on there purely for speed because the rest of my team has little. I appreciate the feedback.

Boss

[Red Leader]

Boss,
First of all, nice team. You have some flexibility here.

Offense:

First, you don't need Pierzynksi since you have Piazza...he's wasting space. Pick up the best remaining free agent OF and dump him.

Start: C Piazza, 1B Giambi, 2B Giles, 3B Blalock, SS ARod, OF Abreu, Berkman, F.A pickup (for now).

That means you have 2B Vidro, and SS Cabrera for trade. You COULD wait the 15 games until ARod is eligible at 3B and put him there and move Cabrera to SS and then you'd have Vidro and Blalock to trade, but I'd stick with trying to trade Vidro and Cabrera to a team that needs help at 2B (there aren't 7 really good 2B in MLB and you have 2, so someone will want him) or SS. You might want to package Vidro with Damon to get someone like Magglio, Sheffield, etc ( a guy who hits HR's and runs). You could also package Vidro with Sweeney to upgrade at UTIL, someone like Derrek Lee who also hits HR's and runs. Overall, I think you are fine in SB's. Giles and Abreu should get you close to 35-40 SB's between them and ARod should chip in about 5-10 more.

Your pitching is fine. I would take Kip Wells out and start Webb instead, but that's minor.

[Boss-Hog]

Thanks RL. Webb is in my normal "rotation" but he just pitched last night. In other words, all our pitchers "start", but I wrote down my team as of today, and I moved Webb to the bench since he just pitched last night.

[Red Leader]

Thanks RL. Webb is in my normal "rotation" but he just pitched last night. In other words, all our pitchers "start", but I wrote down my team as of today, and I moved Webb to the bench since he just pitched last night.

The BIG UNIT pitched last night. Webb goes tonight!!! Get him back in your lineup!!! Kip Wells doesn't pitch tonight..change them...

[Sabo Fan]

I'm going to disagree with Red Leader on one point here: I would keep Vidro over Giles. I think Vidro is the better player overall, so his trade value would be higher so I can see dealing him on that basis. However, there's someone out there who will value Giles as much or more as Vidro, so you can get your outfielder and keep the better 2B at the same time.

[Red Leader]

Why keep Vidro? The only thing he MIGHT have over Giles is RBI and judging by Boss' lineup, he shouldn't have a problem with RBI. Giles steals more bases, hits more HR, has a better OBP, SLG%, and scores more runs. I agree with you Sabo that their value is "perceived" to be about the same, but I have to argue that Vidro is the better player.

[Sabo Fan]

I'd take Vidro over Giles for a couple reasons.

1. Vidro plays a sizable amount of games in Hiram Bithorn, well-known as a bandbox. That should give his numbers a bit of a boost.

2. Vidro is currently batting second, but I think he'll be moved down in the lineup eventually, giving him more RBI opportunities.

3. Giles has the edge in SB, but if you look at career numbers, they're nearly equal in OBP, SLG, and OPS. It's just a feeling I have with Vidro about his production, although last year's numbers don't back me up. I think the guy is ready to really break out.

4. I hate the Braves and all their players.

[Boss-Hog]

RL,

I made a mistake - I was looking at TODAY's lineup YESTERDAY, so Webb was in my rotation. :)

[Boss-Hog]

One other question - A-Rod will still be eligible at SS in 15 days (as well as 3B), correct?

[LvJ]

Yeah, he should be listed as "3B/SS". Like Piazza should be listed as "C/1B".

Yahoo is pretty slow with things like that. I wish they would list Freel as a "OF/3B/SS/2B" :D ... but that probally won't happen. I have him on one of my teams in a league, and I can only put him in the OF at the moment, which sucks.

[Red Leader]

To be eligible for multi-positions a player must play 15 games during the previous season at that position, or after 15 games played there this season. So, ARod, Piazza will be eligible at their new positions after 15 games. Michael Young will also be a SS, etc.

Glad to hear you had Webb in your lineup, Boss. Wanted to make sure you didn't miss that good start...

[Boss-Hog]

Would you guys be worried about my team so far? I am currently in sixth (in a seven team league) and my hitting is struggling, to say the least. I rank last or second to last in the following categories: runs, hits, home runs, RBI, and average. A lot of that has to do with players who normally produce (A-Rod batting .160, Giambi at .229, Abreu at .111) not doing anything so far. My starting pitching looks to be ok. Statistically speaking, the best of the bunch on the waiver wire are people like Jacque Jones, Moises Alou, Geoff Jenkins, Edgar, Reggie Sanders, and Hee Sop Choi. Graves, Mesa, and Looper are also available for possible relief help (with Dotel only having one save so far, I only have three as a team). My team is basically the same as it was above with a few changes...I disabled Larry Walker, dropped A.J. Pierzynski, Joe Nathan and Jason Isringhausen and picked up Arthur Rhodes, Migue Cabrera, David Ortiz and Matt Herges. My current lineup is:

C Mike Piazza
1B Mike Sweeney
2B Marcus Giles
3B Hank Blalock
SS A-Rod
OF Lance Berkman
OF Johnny Damon
OF Migue Cabrera
Utility David Ortiz


Any other moves you can suggest making or should I just wait it out and wait for some of my stars to turn it around? Thanks.

Boss

[EmtyRedsFan]

No way do I take Vidro over Giles.. Have you seen Montreal's line-up... Its terrible, actually terrible is being nice. Giles will have a higher BA, more Runs, more SB, and I think he will have a better OBP. Vidro is a good player but I would take Giles over him anyday.

And dont worry about your team just yet. Give them another month, If they arent producing after that then you can worry.

[Boss-Hog]

I have been starting Giles over Vidro for the past week or so and he's doing very well.

[Boss-Hog]

top

[Red Leader]

My team is basically the same as it was above with a few changes...I disabled Larry Walker, dropped A.J. Pierzynski, Joe Nathan and Jason Isringhausen and picked up Arthur Rhodes, Migue Cabrera, David Ortiz and Matt Herges. My current lineup is:

C Mike Piazza
1B Mike Sweeney
2B Marcus Giles
3B Hank Blalock
SS A-Rod
OF Lance Berkman
OF Johnny Damon
OF Migue Cabrera
Utility David Ortiz


Any other moves you can suggest making or should I just wait it out and wait for some of my stars to turn it around? Thanks.

Boss


Boss,
Your offense is fine, just starting slow. I'm assuming that you have O.Cabrera, Abreu, and Vidro on the bench. I really liked the moves you made to pick up Ortiz and M. Cabrera. Those guys are going to be great this year...both over 30 HR and 100 RBI in my opinion, in other words not guys that should be available via free agency / waiver wire. The one player I do not like is Johnny Damon. I know that he gives you runs, stolen bases, a decent average, but it doesn't go beyond that. I would see if you could package Damon with Vidro and get a good OF back in return, preferably one that could steal a base or two...look at the teams in your league that have the worst 2nd basemen and post back here with their lineup and I'll see if I can give you trade ideas.

For instance.

Team A has Roberto Alomar at 2B and Magglio Ordonez, Rondell White, Juan Gonzalez in the OF, and Travis Hafner at UTIL.

Team B has D. Jimenez at 2B and R. Hidalgo, H. Matsui, and C. Beltran in the OF.

etc. etc.