Keep the most value or lock in a stud at thin position?

[dannahann]

12T mixed $260 7x7 roto keeper, (extra cats are H, OPS & L, HRA). Costs go up by $4 each year and we can't keep anyone added off FA or WW. Inflation runs about 18%. We sort our keepers into 2 price tiers $5 to $8 and >$8. We must keep one player from the cheap tier and can keep up to two of them. We can keep up to five players total, less if we so choose.

I'll keep Jay Bruce at $6 as my mandated cheap keeper. Other potential options in that tier include:
Brett Anderson $5
Michael Bourne $8
Aroldis Chapman $5
Jorge Posada at $5.

I have some decent value options in the more expensive tier:
Billy Butler $13
Josh Johnson $17
Andrew McCutcheon $18

and then some players closer to book value:
Dustin Pedrioa $27
John Lester $22
Hanley Ramirez $47
Joakim Soria $13
Elvis Andrus $13

As I said I'm keeping Bruce as my mandated cheap keeper. I wondering if locking in Hanley makes sense or should I go value? Who else would you protect (up to 5 players including Bruce)?

[Rush]

I'd keep Bruce, and either Anderson or Chapman, in the lower tier
McCutcheon and Johnson from the next group.

Ramirez is a tough one. He is at value, but will go for that again in the auction I assume. You get what you pay for and he plays a premium position. I'd lean towards keeping him.

[Hornsby]

12T mixed $260 7x7 roto keeper, (extra cats are H, OPS & L, HRA). Costs go up by $4 each year and we can't keep anyone added off FA or WW. Inflation runs about 18%. We sort our keepers into 2 price tiers $5 to $8 and >$8. We must keep one player from the cheap tier and can keep up to two of them. We can keep up to five players total, less if we so choose.

I'll keep Jay Bruce at $6 as my mandated cheap keeper. Other potential options in that tier include:
Brett Anderson $5
Michael Bourne $8
Aroldis Chapman $5
Jorge Posada at $5.

I have some decent value options in the more expensive tier:
Billy Butler $13
Josh Johnson $17
Andrew McCutcheon $18

and then some players closer to book value:
Dustin Pedrioa $27
John Lester $22
Hanley Ramirez $47
Joakim Soria $13
Elvis Andrus $13

As I said I'm keeping Bruce as my mandated cheap keeper. I wondering if locking in Hanley makes sense or should I go value? Who else would you protect (up to 5 players including Bruce)?

Along with Bruce, I think that I'd keep Bourn out of the cheap tier, that way you can forget about steals and look to stock your team elsewhere. Then I'd probably keep JJ, Pedroia, and Hanley.

[Gregg]

12T mixed $260 7x7 roto keeper, (extra cats are H, OPS & L, HRA). Costs go up by $4 each year and we can't keep anyone added off FA or WW. Inflation runs about 18%. We sort our keepers into 2 price tiers $5 to $8 and >$8. We must keep one player from the cheap tier and can keep up to two of them. We can keep up to five players total, less if we so choose.

I'll keep Jay Bruce at $6 as my mandated cheap keeper. Other potential options in that tier include:
Brett Anderson $5
Michael Bourne $8
Aroldis Chapman $5
Jorge Posada at $5.

I have some decent value options in the more expensive tier:
Billy Butler $13
Josh Johnson $17
Andrew McCutcheon $18

and then some players closer to book value:
Dustin Pedrioa $27
John Lester $22
Hanley Ramirez $47
Joakim Soria $13
Elvis Andrus $13

As I said I'm keeping Bruce as my mandated cheap keeper. I wondering if locking in Hanley makes sense or should I go value? Who else would you protect (up to 5 players including Bruce)?

Bruce, Bourne.

Then Johnson, McCutcheon, Lester.

That gives me a very nice mix for 5 keeps.

[chancellor]

For me, Anderson from the cheap tier.

Butler, JJ, and McCutcheon from the expensive tier.

I'd throw Hanley back at that price.

Agree completely. With the extra cats being H and OPS, Bourne's value goes down considerably.

[dannahann]

Thanks for all your help so far. I'm not huge on keeping a low OPS OF like Bourn in our scoring system either. I may be confusing things even more here with potential trade talks. The way discussions are going it looks about 50/50 that I may be able to turn a $47 Hanley + a $13 Butler into Miguel Cabrera at $38 and Jose Reyes at $21. If I can I do this, correct? My thinking is my keepers would then be either Bruce or Anderson from the cheap tier and then for sure Cabrera, McCutcheon, Reyes, and JJ from the expensive tier. Pedrioa and Lester and either Bruce or BA would miss the cut. If I don't get the deal it's still Bruce for sure and possibly BA too from the cheap tier then McCutcheon and JJ for sure and some combo of Butler Lester Pedrioa and Hanley?