Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Buy or Sell?

Recently, I've had discussions with colleagues on the dynamics of a fantasy baseball trade. Often times, owners find themselves in predicaments in which they're dominating at the plate, but can't seem to find a hurler consistent enough to keep them competitive on the mound, or vice versa. By nature, fantasy baseball owners are stubborn, not to mention greedy. Getting a fair offer is as likely as the Kansas City Royals winning a pennant. The idea is to reevaluate the worth of individual players at the positions you're either stacked in, or lacking, and decide whether or not it's time to pull the trigger.

Ryan Braun. LF MIL.
After starting of the year on an absolute tear, Braun has slowed down tremendously since the beginning of May. Part of this could be due to the Brewers falling out of contention earlier than ever in Braun's short career. Another factor could be his dismal performance at home, just like most of the Brew Crew. Either way, if your league consists of 12 or fewer teams, chances are you may be able to find viable options at the OF position if you can snag a top starting pitcher, or middle infielder, in exchange for Braun. Let's face it: he's still a name, and should be worth something.
VERDICT: SELL

Elvis Andrus. SS TEX
Don't blink, or you might miss this speedy youngster for the Texas Rangers. Andrus has been one of the more pleasant surprises in fantasy, and there may still be those out there who aren't too familiar with him. He is reaching base at a 40% clip, and making the most of his on base percentage by stealing 18 bases through early June. If you own him, keep him: he is the real deal. If you're looking for a SS, and there is a naive owner out there, try and pluck him.
Verdict: BUY

Carlos Silva. SP CHC
Talk about out of nowhere, this 4.60 lifetime ERA pitcher has taken the NL Central by storm, posting 8 victories and 0 losses through early June, not to mention an earned run average of under 3. This 31 year old right hander could be the biggest fluke in fantasy. Or, just maybe, he is having the AL to NL pitching rebirth that so often slips through the cracks of fantasy owners depth charts on draft day. (See Javier Vazquez in Atlanta) He doesn't have the highest strikeout rate, nor the endurance to last too far into games, (Lasts about 6 innings per game) but the National League hitters are certainly baffled, for now... My take? His value will never be higher than it is right now. If you can send him on his way to solidify another part of your team, I would highly recommend it. Chances are this guy was taken off the free agent list early in the season to begin with, so anything of higher draft day value might be a steal...
Verdict: SELL

Ryan Howard. 1B PHI
Here is another target for owners looking for some help at the 1B, or CI position (if applicable) on your fantasy team. Howard has been aggravating for many fantasy owners so far this season, posting only 10 HR to date, which is well behind the pace that we have grown accustomed to. These are the kind of players that you may see on the blocks for those who are fed up with the 31 year old slugger. There is definitely plenty of good baseball ahead, and you should see him heat up sooner rather than later. Take advantage, if you can...
VERDICT: BUY

Possible Free Agent List Finds Worth Adding
Michael Stanton. RF FLA
Brad Lidge. RP PHI
Brennan Boesch. RF DET
Jeff Keppinger. 3B HOU
Brett Cecil. SP TOR

That's all for now. Feel free to email me any questions regarding trades, or drop/adds. Fantasy Action Maction OUT!!!

1 comment:

  1. There is an owner in my league who think's Brett Cecil belongs on the waiver wire because he was horrible last year....Maction, What do you think about this type of thinking?

    ReplyDelete