NL Keepers

[FBP]

NL 5x5, 11 teams 280 cap. Keep 12 but have an expansion team so 9 initial protects and then can pull back after expansion draft to keep 12. My own rankings and break off for protects are set forth below. Would appreciate views and any adjustments.

Pete Alonso $5B
Hiura $5B
McNeil $3 option year ($5 per year to extend)
A. Rosario $10 final year and on guaranteed contract
Neris $5B
Newman $5B
Brian Anderson $3 option year
Wheeler $7 option year
C. Kelly $2B

———-

Hampson $2B
Oberg $10B (only if closer)
Grisham $5B

————-

Rodgers $5B (could swap out for one of #9-12) if starting in Colorado
DeScafalini $1B
Mitch Keller $5B
Garrett Anderson $3B
Seth Lugo $5B (would elevate if closing)
Tapia $4B

[Ken]

I thought Garrett Anderson retired 10 years ago.

[The Dane]

Here's my take. Keep in mind that I am, generally, strongly disposed against extensions.

McNeil $3 option year ($5 per year to extend) I'd extend one year.
Brian Anderson $3 option year No extension
Wheeler $7 option year No extension

Hampson $2B I LOVE Hampson at this price, in this format. I think he'll be a better keeper than you expect.

DeScafalini $1B I also really like DeSclafani at this price. If you think you could get him for only a couple of dollars more at draft, then toss him, for sure, but I think he'll build on last season.

[chancellor]

Wow...tough one. If I'm an expansion team taking a player after your top nine, Hampson is gone. OTOH, you have three good MI keepers, so I don't see how you have room for him.

I tend to be more aggressive than The Dane on extensions for hitters, and I'd go two years on McNeil and no extensions on the other two. I like his multi-position flexibility, good R/RBI counting stats and that BA. And I like his counting stats upside with that strong OBP.

[tinitoys]

Here’s my top 9 before expansion...Alonso, hiura, McNeil, Rosario, B Anderson, CKelly, neris, wheeler, hampson

Next 3 are: Grisham, Rodgers and descafalini

[Judge Jude]

Hampson has WAY more upside than Anderson. for 2 bucks, what the heck.

sure, 'nobody puts Baby in the corner' - but you can put McNeil there (or OF), AND put Hampson in the OF if you like.

I am not sold on a Newman repeat, and if you put him out there as bait, you have more flexibility and can take back DeSclafani.

[Ken]

Hampson has WAY more upside than Anderson. for 2 bucks, what the heck.

That was my first read as well.

I checked a couple sources I trust and noticed that the Steamer based sources have Anderson at $16-$18. I think it's the high floor and the fact that he does a little bit of everything.

[chancellor]

Hampson has WAY more upside than Anderson. for 2 bucks, what the heck.

Long term, I agree, but he looks to have a very competitive team this year. Anderson gives 3B/OF position flexibility, decent R/RBI counting stats, plays almost every day (other than the freak finger injury last year). I agree with Ken - he's a high-floor, mid to upper teens value guy at three bucks. No way I give him up on a team that's competitive this year. I was thinking Newman might be sacrificed for Hampson, but him with Amed gives a nice MI combo that could get 35-50 SB. OTOH, Newman never showed double-digit HR power in the minors, and while 15-20 SBs has a lot of value for $5, if he slips to 6-9 HR and only steals 16 again, I'd give that up before Anderson to keep Hampson.

[cavebird]

My first thought is wow, that's a lot of Mets. My second thought is: why all the Hampson love? He was the darling of last off-season. Now apparently everyone is back for more. Really? Maybe I am too swayed by my main league having a "keeper is locked in your starting lineup" rule, which makes Hampson, without guaranteed playing time, unkeepable. He looks like he's on the short end of a platoon with McMahon, he K's too much, and lacks power. Yes, he can run, but the Rockies are a team where it makes little sense to run (the higher the run-scoring environment, the less it makes sense to risk outs on the base paths). Maybe I am missing something, but I see Hampson's upside as something similar to what Newman did last year. And really, does anyone trust the Rockies to give him more than 350 plate appearances?

[Judge Jude]

I called out Hampson early last year, just to watch the fur fly. when the dust settled, our eventual cellar-dweller landed him for 17 lol.

7 steals in his last 70 AB, when many teams in my league didn't even have 5 guys steal that many.

OF-2B eligibility (also SS in my league, at exactly 15 G in 2019) with SS coming soon enough even in 5-game in-season minimums.

for $2, you cannot lose. he paid out $11 last year btw

[The Dane]

he paid out $11 last year btw

This is the important takeaway. In a horrible season, in which he massively underperformed expectations and drove many an owner to the basement, he still returned an average player's value in 299 ABs, a half a season. And many of those ABs were the crappy ones in the beginning. He showed not just speed, but also a little power at the end there.

I really like the position Hampson and McMahon are in right now. I don't think Murphy will have more ABs at 34 than he had at 33, and healthy or not, I think they'll rest him a couple of days a week. Plus, he's not the player he was a few years ago. In addition, there's a fair chance Hampson gets the starting CF job.

As far as SBs in Colorado go, they were middle of the pack in the NL in SBs (7th), but a little lower in HRs (8th). And that's with Arenado's 41, which was good for 4th in the NL. These aren't Dante Bichette's Rockies. Despite their home park, they do not rely on the HR to win as much as many teams, and they run more than you might expect. Plus, with the addition of Hampson and Tapia (and maybe Hilliard) they actually have a good deal more speed than they have had in the past. Plus, look at the aggregate speed in that lineup. Murphy can't run like he used to but he's better than most 1B. Story can run. All of the OFs can run. Only Arenado is functionally stationary. It's a very fast team.

I think Hampson for $2 is a GREAT keeper.

[FBP]

One concern I have with keeping Hampson in my top 9 is Brendan Rodgers as well as the crazy things the Rockies do with playing time outside their superstars.

[cavebird]

I don't think all $11 value players are the same. I am assuming weekly roster moves here, so that is an important caveat, although I cannot imagine the point of an 11-team NL only with daily moves, lol. Hampson's problem is that if he puts up $11 in total value playing 2-3 games a week (which he could with the steals; let's face it, it wasn't his .247 AVG, 40 Runs, or 27 RBI getting him the value), he is almost unrosterable in any league that isn't as deep as this one. He never plays enough to avoid killing you in the major counting stats (RBI & Runs). In a league as deep as this one, he is obviously rosterable, but pretty much any full time player who isn't horrible should outearn him just based on playing time. And, thus, you want to keep the full-time players ahead of him---there aren't any horrible players on that list, although Grisham might have the same problem as Hampson. It's basically the Ohtani problem in weekly leagues as a hitter when he is also pitching. Or, if he does what he did last year, and gets all his value at the end when people are hurt or something, that doesn't really help you since you're probably already crippled by him by that point. Sure, he has upside and taking a flyer on him is fine, but if you have a good keeper list already, why take that risk? Of course, if he has all this helium, you can just trade him for a less sexy, but better option.

[FBP]

Good points Cavebird. I didn’t look it up but my impression is that much of Hampson’s value came in September. FWIW he had a lot of hype last year and I kept him at $4. I later dropped him and picked him up before he went in his September run for $2. I also don’t like what the Rockies do with their young players. I like the guy but as my last keeper not #9. I suspect the hype train will continue to run and he will get picked up by the expansion team as at this point I don’t intend to protect against expansion.

[FBP]

QUOTE=Ken;357750]I thought Garrett Anderson retired 10 years ago.[/QUOTE]

Garret Richards. Brain fart