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Ask Nash: Is Chris Carpenter worth a risk?

Nash —  September 21, 2012 — 3 Comments

Chris Carpenter

Nash,

Is Chris Carpenter worth a look for my team which is competing hard down the stretch?!

Amy

Amy,

Chris Carpenter, hmmm, Chris Carpenter. I spent $2 on the bum in one of my drafts even though he was gonna be on the DL to start the year and for how long, no one knew.

Flash forward to September 21st, Carpenter is set to start at Wrigley against the terrible Cubs.

This comes at a time that will be pivotal for owners competing in various league styles.

Here is exactly how I’d approach Carpenter, depending on the situation you are in.

If you are in a head-to-head match-up, you need to really know what you need to win. One bad outing can take you out of the running for ERA and WHIP in such a short time frame. However if you are going against a team that is sure to own pitching with aces then maybe you just try to poach a counting stat like Ks from them and stream in as many pitchers as you can. Of course, for this to matter you need to dominate hitting but say you are doing that. I think I would roll the dice on Carpenter!

If you are in a Roto style league then you need to understand what a bad start will mean to your team. If you are down .50 in ERA and only up by .05 on the guy trailing you, then you could easily lose a point with a bad outing. Same goes for WHIP of course. On the other hand, the same goes for if you need counting stats like Ks or a win. Carpenter should still stand to get a win even if he can’t pitch lights out, as the Cardinals are a much better team than the Cubs.

Now taking these sort of things into consideration, you need to decide if you trust how healthy Carpenter is. I would trust Carpenter to know when he is ready. He is a seasoned veteran, so he likely has a good understanding of coming back right for the sake of his team down the stretch and for his own health.

Now let’s look at his first two match-ups. He is on the road at Wrigley and at Houston. On the road is obviously tougher than pitching at home for any pitcher, BUT I don’t think you can ask for two better match ups that the Cubs and Astros.

So what is the verdict you say? I would roll the dice with Carpenter. Hopefully I am right about this guy!

In Ask Nash
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Ask Nash: Do I cut ties with injured stars?

Nash —  September 14, 2012 — Leave a comment

Mark Teixeira

Nash,

It seems this time of year players take a few more days off here and there if their teams are not in contention.  How do you approach these types of players if you are trying to make a run?

Jamey, MN

Hey Jamey,

This can be QUITE frustrating, ESPECIALLY when you are trying to win your leagues. For instance, today I noticed I had FIVE players on one team that were DTD. Dustin Pedroia is out because his wife had another baby, Yoenis Cespedes left early with a wrist thing, Asdrubal Cabrera has an on going wrist issue, Mark Teixeira is, well he’s being Mark Teixeira, and Angel Pagan had a callous split. What is an owner to do?!

First off, it isn’t so bad when they at least get DLed, but when you are sitting here with guys that are DTD and taking up a bench spot that you need, decisions need to be made!

You really need to assess the player vs your team needs vs standings vs league.

Seems somewhat complicated, but how you go about this is relatively simple.

If you are in a one-year league (no keepers), then guys who start missing excessive time need to be dropped for guys that will play. Of course you need to be wise because you don’t want to drop Jose Reyes for missing one game with a sore something, only for him to come back and go on a tear. However if he misses six days in a row, something is up. This is something to note especially these player’s Major League teams are either out of contention, or so far ahead that they could survive a rough week.

Now, let’s move on to keeper leagues and start at players:

Most teams have elite guys, or at least one of them, say Joey Votto. Votto starts to take extra days off here and there and no way you think about dropping him, unless perhaps you are in a league with a keeper max and he is at the limit.

Now the above mentioned players: Pedroia, Cespedes, Asdrubal, Teix and Pagan are a bit scattered in terms on talent level. My personal preferences aside, the only one close to being elite is Pedroia. Luckily for his owners he is only on paternity leave, so we know he’ll be back.  It’s still annoying that I had to go get Tyler Green for a few days because I’m in a heated race, but I digress. I would never drop Pedroia so I had to cut someone else. I decided on losing a streaming pitcher spot. Not too bad.

Cespedes is a guy that if you are just looking for outfield is replaceable, he’s more valuable left field in individual position leagues. I would still try to hang on to him for a bit. If he’s still inactive but nor going to the DL, or you don’t get a DL spot, look into dropping him for someone like Delmon Young.

Teix is a guy that will in fact mess with your bench because the guy will avoid a DL stint and then sit outfor 16 games.I don’t even know how he snuck on to one of my teams. If you are harboring this menace or know someone who is, my advice is to drop him for, say, Brandon Moss!  Teix is not, elite and he is at first base. Easily the deepest power position in the league, there are ALWAYS first basemen in free agency.

Now remember this is from a standpoint of you trying to make a run in roto or playing playoff match ups. If you are out of the running, hold on to these guys to potentially save for next season.

Now getting to Pagan and Asdrubal. I like both of these guys. I even like Asdrubal as a keeper if you can afford to keep him on your bench or hopefully DL if need be. Yet if you are limited for space and need guys that will provide stats in every position the rest of way then you need to consider your options. It might just be time to jump on Stephen Drew!

Pagan on the other hand is very easy to replace, and is by no means a keeper. I’d nab Dexter Fowler, Jon Jay or Alejandro De Aza and not even think twice if I needed a little power and some steals from a center field outfielder.

Now, like I said before, you also need to consider standings and stats. If you are WAY ahead in steals and lose a guy like Pagan, maybe you replace him with another guy that will provide stats you need. For example, if you’re down in homers, grab Tyler Colvin.

Or perhaps you have just an outside chance at making a run. Do not blow up your team ‘s future success for a small chance at winning now.

Just some things to consider, friends!

In Ask Nash, Miscellany, Strategy
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Ask Nash: How Valuable is Stephen Strasburg?

Nash —  September 7, 2012 — 2 Comments

Stephen Strasburg

Nash I’m in a 5×5 head to head keeper league where I am set to make the playoffs.  I currently have Stephen Strasburg and I’m wondering how flexible I should be in dropping him and risk losing him for next year?

We get 5 keepers in a snake style draft and the rest of my roster is as follows:

C- Matt Wieters
1B- Prince Fielder
2B- Robinson Cano
3B- Pablo Sandoval
SS- Jimmy Rollins
LF- Alex Gordon
CF- Curtis Granderson
RF- Nelson Cruz
UTL- Billy Butler

Bench- Mike Aviles, Chris Davis

P- Felix Hernandez
P- Stephen Strasburg
P- R.A. Dickey
P- Tom Wilhelmsen
RP- Rafael Betancourt
RP- Jason Motte

Bench- Tommy Milone, Ryan Vogelsong, Wandy Rodriguez

As of right now I think I’d keep Prince, Cano, Granderson, Felix and Strasburg

Thoughts?

Jeff

Jeff,

Personally I would never recommend keeping two pitchers unless your league has more pitching categories, double-digit keepers, or if the pitchers are both top-tier and you don’t have great hitters.

Strasburg is a VERY good pitcher, and probably a top-tier pitcher especially next year if he has his innings cap lifted.

That said, given your situation I would keep a fourth hitter over Starasburg, most likely Wieters. He really came on strong this year and is carving out a spot as a top-five catcher, and that is nothing to scoff at. Having a thin position like catcher taken care of pre-draft is a really good place to be in and you will be able to more easily replace Strasburg in the sixth round and beyond than you can Wieters.

Now in some leagues that have quality starts as a category then I MIGHT keep Strasburg as well as Felix however it is still tough for me.

Now I wouldn’t automatically drop Strasburg in favor of another arm because I would prefer to have him around to maybe trade to someone else for a better fifth keeper. Perhaps you can trade Wieters and Strasburg for Buster Posey or maybe Carlos Santana. An upgrade at catcher would be awesome, but maybe a pipe dream.

If you can work around dropping Strasburg you should in fact do so!  However no reason to keep him and end up losing a round of playoffs in which you needed to stream in a pitcher or two.

The Strasburg situation has been an interesting one to anticipate at the end of the season because he is a such a talent. Just chalk this dilema up to an embarassment of riches.

Good luck sir!

In Miscellany
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Fantasy Baseball: Managing different stretch run scenarios

Nash —  September 5, 2012 — Leave a comment

Stephen Strasburg

The season is winding down in some ways, but for those of you in the heat of a playoff run or at the end of a tight Roto race, it is really just starting to ramp up.

As the games pass you will need to make tough, tough decisions on how to approach winning.

Let’s break down things starting with head to head style leagues, and we’ll start with the leaders.

If you are a top seed or second seed going into to a final week of regular season without anyone close to knocking you out, congratulations!  Especially if this means a bye week for you.

Now, as for approaching said bye week. Don’t check out for a week! Much like teams that have to play real the games get rusty with a week off, you can also get out of the swing of things while not checking your team for a full week. However the real danger lies in not being ready for a late-season injury until Monday morning. Just because the games being played don’t count for you doesn’t mean they don’t matter!

Say you are in a bit of a tight race for playoffs. I’m gonna quick run through how to approach your scenario!

Tight race at the top, you need to assess what can be won or lost.  If you can reach the top seed and get a bye week then you might want to play it out like you are in the playoffs already. Meaning bench hitters, lower tier pitchers and maybe an extra closer are expendable for the right player to nab you a different category or two and ultimately win the week!

Tight race for the last playoff spot, same as above. You do not want to miss a chance at the playoffs because you couldn’t pull the trigger to stream in some arms or grab a hot bat for an ailing hitter. You need to live to play another day at ALMOST all costs. Don’t drop Albert Pujols for Ike Davis  or anything like that, BUT certainly a guy like Mark Teixeira.

If you are just playing for different spot in the middle of the pack with no other incentive, let is ride a little more. If you have guys like the aforementioned Teix or Curtis Granderson, wait and see how their injuries play out.

In keeper leagues, you need to have a good idea of who you are gonna keep, so that the decisions on who you can live without the following season and the guys you can drop if needed have already been made. As a general rule, top three guys at their position should be kept year-to-year, so try your hardest to continue to hold onto guys like Joey Votto, Troy Tulowitzki and Jose Bautista.

Now we come to Roto. In many leagues you don’t get much for not winning. Perhaps, your league has a second place trophy, or even a trophy that goes to a league vote for best season without taking first place, like we do in one of our leagues. For those of you that like to wager on our silly game, maybe there are payouts for second, even third. Lastly for you hardcore guys, it comes down to pride, which often outweighs any payouts or trophies anyway. Why wouldn’t you give your all until the very end and finish as high as possible?

If you are thinking about draft position for next year, that’s just lame and really can impact who wins the league. So, don’t talk to me. Is that harsh?

Now there are levels to how hard to go for your final position. If you can get that top spot, EVERYONE is expendable! Even in a keeper league, it’s not likely that a situation arises that you should drop Prince Fielder for a more fleet footed Tyler Colvin. BUT if you think that five more steals will help you more than five homers the rest of the way, “You gotta do what you gotta do!”

It’s all about finding the avenues where you can make up the points you need!

This is also the time of year where you need to start loosening the grip on pitchers and really start streaming. Don’t go wild with who you bring in BUT with just about 3-4 starts left for some guys (or less for Stephen Strasburg), you need be able to drop even as high as second-tier pitchers with tough games coming up in favor of guys like Sam Deduno who would be pitching at home against a lesser opponent.

I know it might seem crazy to drop a potential keeper like Zack Greinke in favor of an absolute non-keeper like Deduno, but hey, this is not a game for the faint of heart!

All in all, you have to weigh risk reward very carefully down the stretch, because you certainly don’t want to crunch the numbers in the off-season and realize one or two moves would have made the difference. Trust me.

In Miscellany
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Ask Nash: The secret to managing multiple teams.

Nash —  August 31, 2012 — Leave a comment

...and the SF Giants!

Nash,
Was I crazy to take on 3 teams this year?  I went from being a top 3 guy in 1 league to struggling in 3.  You guys all run multiple teams right?  How do you do it?
Diamondback Fan

Ah, the first year of multiple teams…seems like forever ago for me.

It is certainly not impossible to run multiple teams for fantasy baseball. Dixon and I are in 4 together and Clave is in 3 with us.  I am not sure how the other guys approach it, but here are some quick thoughts for the multi-team owners:

  1. It is best if all your teams are hosted on the same site.  As we have no affiliation with anyone I am not going to say which one to choose. They are have pros and cons, but find the one you like best and only join league through them, if possible. I find it is MUCH easier to just have to login to one site, rather than to have juggle multiple logins with various sites.  This makes it a one stop shop for your teams and the less time you spend on login screens drops the bar on frustration, meaning you are more likely to give attention to your teams.
  2. Find a co-owner for at least 1 league.  I have my brother as a co-owner in one league and although he doesn’t check our team much and never adjusts anything unless I ask him to I find it invaluable that he is there.  I have the option to at least shoot him a text if I cannot get to a computer right away.  Also, he is much better at finding starting pitchers on the wire than I am so he just shoots me a text of guys he is looking at and I make the final decision.
  3. When figuring out players I like to try to have as many of the same players as possible because it:
      • Helps me to know how my teams are doing with only really checking one roster at a time and
      • keeps my goals and such consistent, even though sometimes league require different focuses.

This brings me to another problem with owning multiple teams.  When you have 3-4-5 teams you might be in leagues that are VERY different.  That can be troublesome for us as owners because you are constantly having to remember which league you are strategizing for.

Luckily, my leagues aren’t too different from each other.  The one odd duck is a head-to-head fantasy baseball league because it is just a horse of a different color compared to Roto style fantasy baseball leagues.  Additionally, I play in two 7×7 Roto leagues that are pretty similar and have mostly matching categories as our head-to-head.  Granted, part of the fun of playing in multiple leagues is the opportunity to play in different styles of fantasy baseball leagues. Just go in knowing that this adds a degree of difficulty in terms of management.

What I do is approach leagues like you approach raising dogs.  For those of you who have raised multiple dogs at one time, you know that you must have an order of dogs, alpha on down.  This is just how they operate and to not do so would create turmoil.  I have my primary league – Tunacorn – as my Alpha league for a couple reasons, mainly because it was my first league and it is the most unique with BBI (walks issued) and Ks (against hitters).  These categories make it a little more difficult to field guys like Mark Reynolds or Carlos Marmol types.

Second is our new Dynasty League because it is a league that is probably overall the most competitive. Then my focus turns to my head-to-head league and, finally, our Crackerjack reader league (sorry readers). This means is that I focus on Tunacorn and work my way down, giving my attention in order. You only have so much time, so prioritize on the league that jazzes you the most, and work down from there.

Another thing I do when I manage multiple fantasy baseball leagues is to draft my favorite hitters because they are pretty universal. Dustin Pedroia, Albert Pujols, Shin Soo Choo, Jose Reyes and Brian McCann are some guys I have on 3 or 4 teams and they are pretty much no brainers to anyone.  I have even taken the hit in K’s against to have Yoenis Cespedes on ALL my squads since he has instantly catapulted himself to mine and my brother’s favorite player! If you have your favorite guys on multiple squads then managing them becomes less a chore, and more an opportunity to root for your guys.

You are still gonna have to make different choices for different leagues at times, but you really can minimize them by following these steps above.  However, even though I have McCann in all four leagues, if someone offers me Buster Posey in one of those leagues I am going to pull the trigger in a heartbeat! After all, you play to win.

Hope these tips help. Have fun with all your leagues!

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All in!

Nash —  August 30, 2012 — Leave a comment

yoenis-cespedes

Nothing is more of a power play than when you are at a poker table, face to face with a buddy (or maybe a guy you don’t like) and you push all your chips to the middle and saying the classic line, “All in!”

I think it is safe to say that with the acquisitions of Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford the Los Angeles Dodgers are ‘all in’  on this year and for the short term.

The difference between the two which makes the poker play more dynamic is that your opponent doesn’t know if you are bluffing, have the nut (best possible hand) or if you just have good enough hand to provide a little hubris.

In poker your opponent decides right then and there whether to play it out or just fold.  In sports – real or fantasy – our opponent is not likely to be pushed into just folding.  The hope is that every team will play it out at least.

So the true key to going “all in” in fantasy baseball is to give your opponent less time to counter that move.

I made a trade in a fantasy league today. It’s not a blockbuster by any means, but it is a play to make sure the other owners know I am serious going into the deadline.  The other owners now have four days to make a move if they feel they need to.

Likewise, I still have 4 days to make a real “all in” move.  I certainly have a handful of guys that can be kept that would make nice trade chips, and there are a few nice options among players that cannot be kept next season.  These types of scenarios always give you a better shot at making a power play for this year!

The trick is to not give up too much (read more here).  Essentially a guy who cannot be kept for next year with only 5 weeks left in the fantasy season should be worth only about 65% of their normal trade value. Maximum.

In no world would I ever offer Nelson Cruz straight up for Adrian Gonzalez or Joey Votto and expect another owner to take it.  Unless those guys cannot be kept and Cruz can be kept.  Then this becomes a good trade for both sides.

You just have to know what is going to help you.  Normally you wouldn’t trade Tommy Hanson straight up for Jose Valverde.  But if you need the saves to put you over the top for a fantasy baseball title then it is a money trade scenario.

Finally, when going all in you need to figure out if your shot at the top is worth even sacrificing your future.  Say you have your keepers set as Brian McCann, Albert Pujols, Dustin Pedroia, Jose Reyes and Yoenis Cespedes, yet you desperately need steals.  Maybe you need to go all in send your absolute favorite player, Yoenis Cespedes, to a guy that can give you Michael Bourn.  If the steals get you the championship you have always wanted, then the move won’t hurt so much the following season.  Then again if you don’t win and don’t have your favorite player as a keeper, then you might be REALLY bitter.

Just some things to consider.  

In Strategy , , ,
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Dispelling the Player Rater Myth

Nash —  August 27, 2012 — Leave a comment

Elvis Andrus

A a while back I was offered Elvis Andrus straight up for Jose Reyes.  I laughed at such an offer and proceeded to tell my dear friend that “I should punch your nuts for offering me this trade…”

Of course, that was a bit of hyperbole, as it is not the worst offer I have ever seen. Then the owner responded “…but Andrus is ranked better on our site’s player rater and you should account for future seasons” (this is a keeper league).

The owner then asked all of Twitter who they would have taken and it came back as 4 out of 6 other experts choosing team Andrus. After that, I felt compelled to dispel his misguided logic in trying to get me to take this trade. Where he went wrong:

  1. Player rater is not king.
  2. Don’t always error on planning for the future in keeper leagues

First, let’s dissect the player rater. The player is a great tool, however it is not the Bible, or some magic eight ball.

The player rater tells you how value a play has been, not how valuable they will be going forward.  At the end of the season a player rater is a great way to see who were the best players over the course of the season.  While during the season they also can be a very good tool to see just how well they are doing.  However, when it comes down to a late season push you have no idea if guys will maintain their pace.  In fact, it is wiser to trust the old saying, “trust the numbers on the back of the baseball card.”

The reality is that guys more often than not will level off.  Look at Josh Hamilton. After his torrid start people were talking about him hitting 55-60 home runs.  Now he is projected to finish with 45, which is still a great season but not out of the world like if he had kept up his pace.  Likewise, players like Jose Reyes, Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez will typically come through and get close to their projections, barring injury. So to take the RED HOT Elvis Andrus for the then average Jose Reyes would have been counter productive in making a late season push.

Second, the argument that Elvis is the better long term option is great and probably accurate if you are thinking beyond just next year.  But a team that is competing this year should not be thinking about sacrificing this year for a better shot next year.  A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush, my grammy always said.  There is no better time to win than your current season, my friends!

Luckily, since I declined this trade Andrus has leveled off a bit. His line since the offer: 111 ABs 13-0-10-3-.297-.350 OBP

Whereas Reyes has picked up the pace: 21-4-15-7-.345-.397 OBP in 116 at bats.

Just remember, the player rater is based on what players have done, not a ranking of how they will continue to produce and if you have a chance to win this season, then focus on this season!

In Miscellany, Projections, Trades , , , ,
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Ask Nash: Should I pick up Stephen Drew?

Nash —  August 24, 2012 — Leave a comment

Stephen Drew

I have gotten a few questions about Stephen Drew, but it is a case-by-case basis with him. I figured I’d write a post giving thumbs up or thumbs down on Drew based on situation.

Dear Nash,
Should I pick up Stephen Drew?
Pretty much everyone with a struggling SS this week.

Lets just start off with the obvious thumbs down.  Here are the top 20 short stops as ranked for a standard 5×5 league (Who says Jeter is washed up?). Let’s draw a line below Rafael Furcal.  If you have anyone above him as your SS no need take a flier on Drew as your primary SS.

Jose Reyes
Derek Jeter
Hanley Ramirez
Starlin Castro
Alcides Escobar
Elvis Andrus
Ian Desmond
Danny Espinosa**
Jimmy Rollins
Ben Zobrist**
Asdrubal Cabrera
Marco Scutaro**
Rafael Furcal Continue Reading…

In Ask Nash, Player Profiles , ,
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Taking a Pit Stop

Nash —  August 21, 2012 — Leave a comment

Pit stop

We have all heard the old adage the fantasy baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. Well I wanna tweak that just a little bit. I think fantasy baseball is like a NASCAR race, not a drag race. You might be thinking, isn’t a nascar race the car equivalent of a marathon? In some ways yes, but one of the most important pieces of strategy in NASCAR is when to take your pit stops. Yes, you MUST take pit stops. The reality is that  if you do not strategize well for the year, you will be mentally exhausted by the end of it.  

You also cannot just wait for yourself to get mentally spent and decide to just take a break. You need to set your team up for success.  Last week was my final pit stop for the season, Clave had one the week before, and Dixon has one this week. I knew this one was in place before the season even began. I was at camp and I really wanted to be invested in that week and all those kids. So it really provided me the best time for a pit stop. With just a month and a half of the season remaining I know exactly where I stand in each league I am in. This is also important.  

Let’s take a look at few pieces of season-long strategy I had in place for a whole week off:

  1. Invest in hitting. The bulk of my budget or first dozen rounds of drafting go to hitting. This goes along with sacrificing pitching for hitting in trades throughout the season. Hitting is the hardest to catch up in, and also VERY difficult to stream in hitters effectively. So you should leave very little to chance in hitting and let your lineup be the strength of your team. 
  2. Streaming is an art. Even in 5×5 leagues where the only potential hit on streaming is hurting your ERA and WHIP, I do not like to wildly stream in pitchers. This will make it harder for you to dig out of holes in ERA and WHIP. In one league Clave, Dixon, and I play in, we actually are hurt by walks issued or BBI. So when I stream in pitchers, I start with that league. If a pitcher is good enough for that league he is good enough for any league.  
  3. Know your players. Some leagues have-keeper year maxes and in these leagues you need to know who you might be able to trade for on the cheap. You also need to have your keepers in mind for next year so you know who is expendable on your team. If you are torn between two or three guys for your last spot and miss out on trading for a guy like Joey Votto who cannot be kept because you couldn’t decide to keep Shin-Soo Choo, Matt Cain or Pablo Sandoval, you might miss out on winning this season!

After you have set yourself up for season-long success you need to address your pit stop options.

  • Know your categories. I talk about this a lot and for good reason. If you are 30 home runs behind the guy in front of you at this point in the season, that point is all but lost. That means your focus needs to be elsewhere. So, that strategy would include benching a slugger like Nelson Cruz for Rajai Davis and attacking steals.  
  • MRI: This is not the first nor will it be the last time we mention maximizing relief innings (MRI). Using middle relief guys is a slick way of poaching wins and 2-3 ks per outing when you do not have time to rotate in starters. Even if you don’t score a win or don’t need holds in your leagues, you could get a nice little line like this: 3 innings pitched, 6 ks, 1 walk 0.0 ERA, 0.33 WHIP. That was Sean Marshall last week by the way.  
  • Get a co-manager. Lastly, I like to suggest co-managers to people, however that is not for everyone. The worst case scenario for a pit stop week is that you have a player in an active spot hit the DL with a capable back up on the bench that you never got to put in. Hopefully you have a trustworthy friend that will help you out for one week. If not, email me, I would be obliged to help loyal readers.  
In Strategy , , , , ,
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Ask Nash: Filling the shortstop void

Nash —  August 10, 2012 — Leave a comment

Yunel Escobar

 

Nash,

Position help please…I have been toiling away with random shortstops all year, after taking your advice on Erick Aybar…sorry but I had to bring it up.  I have essentially platooned Yunel Escobar, Zack Cozart and the aforementioned Aybar.

Had Aybar in my DL and have the other 2 on my roster and I really can’t justify holding all 3 probably don’t want to be holding 2 really.

Which guy is the best rest of the season?!

Stan

Hey Stan,

Yeah, sorry about Erick Aybar. If it makes you feel any better I drafted him on all four of my teams. I drank WAY too much of my own Kool-Aid.

Nevertheless, the season isn’t lost on one player and there is still time to make a move for the championship spot!

Now with these three guys there are a few things I would look at:

First, if you are in need of steals, Aybar is probably is your guy. Luckily, he is hitting well lately (nearly .300 over the last month, over .500 during the last two weeks) and is always a threat to run once he reaches base.

If you need to make your ground up in power none of these guys are ideal, but let’s take a closer look.

If you’re looking at only homers, go with Zack Cozart. I’m looking at somewhere between four and six bombs, with most of them being solo shots since he bats at the top of the order.

If you’re looking at overall power (homers and RBI), the edge goes to Yunel Escobar for rest of way.  Yunel is more of a total package guy in the power department. The home run discrepancy won’t be great. Escobar is at seven homers now, hit 11 last year and was projected for 11-12 just about everywhere I looked this year. He should be a lock for 4-5 more this season. When you couple that with his position in the batting order, the RBI total should be much higher.

If runs is what you need, the edge would go to Cozart easily. He should hit for some power, even if most of the 4-6 homers are solo shots. He also guy gives you best shot in average and can steal a few bases as well to move into scoring position.

The key to these three guys to me is lineup spot:

Cozart hits leadoff in front of Joey Votto (when he is back) Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips. That will get him good pitches to hit and will provide plenty of chances to score runs.

Yunel is batting fifth and behind a healthy Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion that is a pretty good spot for some serious RBI production.

Poor Aybar has been dropped to eighth and has NO chance at getting back to the leadoff spot for the Angels as a guy named Mike Trout has secured that spot for the next decade.

Aybar is hottest of late though. So, MY personal play would be to pick up the hot Aybar, let his ownership grow until about 75% then try my hardest to flip him for an upgrade at SS. I like to take a lower grade same position guy like an Aybar and maybe a hot pitcher like Wei-Yin Chen for maybe Asdrubal Cabrera as he isn’t exactly raking right now.

However, some people don’t have the, let’s call it persistence, to make these types of trades happen. So if you want to play it safe pick up Cozart and he should be the most complete option the rest of way!

Thanks for the Question man

In Ask Nash
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