SP trade question

[chancellor]

12-team mixed, 5x5 with OBP and S+H instead of Saves. Keep max 7 people at draft position where they were picked for maximum of three years.

I'm helping out a friend who runs a league where a manager left a team that was a giant dumpster fire. The team had three potentially decent keepers - Kershaw (4th round), Ketel Marte (15th round), and Lance McCullers (17th round). I've made a couple of draft pick swaps to get Trent Grisham and Yordan Alvarez in favorable rounds near the end of the draft.

I've been approached about another draft swap deal that will have me give up pick 53 for pick 65, but will likely be offered two of these four pitchers:

- Sixto Sanchez
- Zach Plesac
- Ian Anderson
- Liam Hendricks

The S+H aspect has me devaluing Hendricks, but I'm not sure. Who would you take?

[Gregg]

I would take Plesac and Hendricks.

S+H doesn't change a lot for me. Hendricks is the closer on an exciting young team.

[Teenwolf]

I would take Plesac and Hendricks.

S+H doesn't change a lot for me. Hendricks is the closer on an exciting young team.

Have you played in many SV + HLD format leagues?

I've had 4/5 leagues I play in switch to SV + HLD, and I think the devaluation of RP is massive and hard to understate. Closers collect slightly more SV + HLD than top setup guys, but it isn't so much to be worth 1 of 7 keeper slots in a 12 team mixed league. Top closers go for less every year in these leagues, as more owners adapt to the format.

I don't mind Anderson, Sixto, and Plesac. I rank them as such. I'd be interested to know which rounds they're locked into, and assume this would be their first keeper year of 3.

Sixto seems the most overrated based on his batted ball luck from 2020. I think his FB gets hit more going forward from what I've read. Still slightly ahead of Plesac, in my mind, among those 3.

[Sour Masher]

I agree that S+H devalue closers, especially those bottom feeder closers that are mediocre but get saves. Hendricks is elite, so is still great to have, because he not only gets saves, but the other stats. But he is worth less than he would be in a saves only league, because the talent pool of good options is much deeper, since guys that put up Hendricks-like stats in middle relief become options. I would not fault you for keeping Hendricks, who again, still very much has value, and save leaders get more saves than hold leaders get holds, but I'd probably pick two of the SPs.

The two to pick is a really tough call. Long term, I favor Anderson and Sixto. For this year, I'd go with Plesac and Anderson. I think Sixto could end up the best of the bunch by a decent margin, but he is 22 and I foresee growing pains and an inning cap lower than the other two.

[chancellor]

Have you played in many SV + HLD format leagues?

I've had 4/5 leagues I play in switch to SV + HLD, and I think the devaluation of RP is massive and hard to understate. Closers collect slightly more SV + HLD than top setup guys, but it isn't so much to be worth 1 of 7 keeper slots in a 12 team mixed league. Top closers go for less every year in these leagues, as more owners adapt to the format.

I don't mind Anderson, Sixto, and Plesac. I rank them as such. I'd be interested to know which rounds they're locked into, and assume this would be their first keeper year of 3.

Sixto seems the most overrated based on his batted ball luck from 2020. I think his FB gets hit more going forward from what I've read. Still slightly ahead of Plesac, in my mind, among those 3.

All but Hendricks are round 22 or 23 keepers. Hendricks is round 19. I'd have all of them for this year and next.

[Teenwolf]

All but Hendricks are round 22 or 23 keepers. Hendricks is round 19. I'd have all of them for this year and next.

That definitely shifts the targets to two of the SP you listed.

Plesac could be good playing in the worst division, but he's still 3rd for me behind Anderson and Sixto. Also, Anderson and Sixto have higher perceived pedigree than Plesac (which is funny, since his dad pitched like 27 years in the bigs, but anyway...), so I would think Sixto and Anderson retain better trade value for a team that's expecting to rebuild.

[Gregg]

I agree that S+H devalue closers, especially those bottom feeder closers that are mediocre but get saves. Hendricks is elite, so is still great to have, because he not only gets saves, but the other stats. But he is worth less than he would be in a saves only league, because the talent pool of good options is much deeper, since guys that put up Hendricks-like stats in middle relief become options. I would not fault you for keeping Hendricks, who again, still very much has value, and save leaders get more saves than hold leaders get holds, but I'd probably pick two of the SPs.

The two to pick is a really tough call. Long term, I favor Anderson and Sixto. For this year, I'd go with Plesac and Anderson. I think Sixto could end up the best of the bunch by a decent margin, but he is 22 and I foresee growing pains and an inning cap lower than the other two.

You stated this much better than I did.

This rings true: save leaders get more saves than hold leaders get holds,

Chance already has two starters and gets a 3rd in this deal. I would grab the elite closer rather than try to get lesser ones or closer in waiting options. He will be a good in season trade chip if needed.

I would take Plesac, but would not feel bad if I got one of the other two instead.

[Gregg]

Have you played in many SV + HLD format leagues?

I've had 4/5 leagues I play in switch to SV + HLD, and I think the devaluation of RP is massive and hard to understate. Closers collect slightly more SV + HLD than top setup guys, but it isn't so much to be worth 1 of 7 keeper slots in a 12 team mixed league. Top closers go for less every year in these leagues, as more owners adapt to the format.

I don't mind Anderson, Sixto, and Plesac. I rank them as such. I'd be interested to know which rounds they're locked into, and assume this would be their first keeper year of 3.

Sixto seems the most overrated based on his batted ball luck from 2020. I think his FB gets hit more going forward from what I've read. Still slightly ahead of Plesac, in my mind, among those 3.

My tongue in cheek answer would be all of my leagues do this. But the truth is they just started a two years ago. I have not noticed the trend that you mention yet. That does not mean it is not coming. I will watch for it this year. Thanks for the tip.

[GwynnInTheHall]

I'm all Sexto and Anderson.

[The Feral Slasher]

I'm all Sexto

TMI dude

[Bene Futuis]

I would take Sanchez and Anderson.

[nullnor]

definitely Sixto. I don't trust Plesac yet. the massive improvement is too small sample size. although his rookie year was pretty decent. what's his spin rate, foreign substance? heh

[chancellor]

Thanks to all - Sixto and Ian Anderson are safely in the fold.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Thanks to all - Sixto and Ian Anderson are safely in the fold.

It's like we share one brain when it comes to baseball :P

[bryanbutler]

FWIW on holds - my main league does SV+Ho/2-BS. Much more sane than just S+H IMHO (i.e., values good closers quite a bit more than setup guys, and also values good closers much more than scrub closers).

I don't know why any league would use straight S+Ho; makes no sense to me. Especially with Ho being such a squirrely stat (well, OK, S are bad enough too, but Ho are just wonky)...

(Yes, I just said Hos are squirrels; that does not mean squirrels are Hos. Otters on the other hand...)