AL keepers

[SenorSmoke]

AL 10 TEAM 5x5 STANDARD

No time like the present for my annual check-in on borderline keepers (of which I seem to have more than usual this year).

Grady Sizemore ($23/L2) -- Two years left (including this year) on a long-term contract at $23. If I cut him outright, I lose $12 from my $260 cap going into the draft this year AND next year. My inclination is to keep and hope for the best.

Michael Brantley ($6/S2) -- Really not sure on this one but if he sticks in the everyday LF/lead-off role I'm thinking yes for the speed upside (of which I am lacking) but I have no idea if that will be the case.

Edwin Encarnacion ($1/S2) -- He helped destroy my chances last year but I'm thinking for $1 I might have to keep him as my CI.

Scott Baker ($12/L2) -- Ugh. Another long-term contract. If I cut him outright I lose $6 off my $260 cap this year AND next year. Again I'm thinking keep and hope for a rebound.

Jeff Niemann ($3/S2) -- Another player who destroyed my team in the second half as I chased his incredible first half numbers all year. At $3 do I keep him and hope for something in the middle: a reliable, cheap starter?

Thanks for any advice, rjbullpen.

[Don Quixote]

AL 10 TEAM 5x5 STANDARD

No time like the present for my annual check-in on borderline keepers (of which I seem to have more than usual this year).

Grady Sizemore ($23/L2) -- Two years left (including this year) on a long-term contract at $23. If I cut him outright, I lose $12 from my $260 cap going into the draft this year AND next year. My inclination is to keep and hope for the best.

Michael Brantley ($6/S2) -- Really not sure on this one but if he sticks in the everyday LF/lead-off role I'm thinking yes for the speed upside (of which I am lacking) but I have no idea if that will be the case.

Edwin Encarnacion ($1/S2) -- He helped destroy my chances last year but I'm thinking for $1 I might have to keep him as my CI.

Scott Baker ($12/L2) -- Ugh. Another long-term contract. If I cut him outright I lose $6 off my $260 cap this year AND next year. Again I'm thinking keep and hope for a rebound.

Jeff Niemann ($3/S2) -- Another player who destroyed my team in the second half as I chased his incredible first half numbers all year. At $3 do I keep him and hope for something in the middle: a reliable, cheap starter?

Thanks for any advice, rjbullpen.

It would help if we knew how many of these guys you can keep.

My views--

Sizemore and Baker--The downside of extended contracts shows up. I'd keep Sizemore, but I'm not sure on Baker.

Niemann--Yeah, I'd keep him. IMO he's the best value of the group.

EE--Keep if you can, but if you have to pick between him and Niemann, take the latter and hope to buy Encarnacion cheaply at the auction.

Brantley--Color me unimpressed. He's the last one of this group IMO.

[j_roz]

If it was just a one year hit I would cut both Baker and Sizemore but two years makes a difference. I would release Baker and would think hard about Sizemore. That might be because he burned me last year.

[fuhrdog]

AL 10 TEAM 5x5 STANDARD

No time like the present for my annual check-in on borderline keepers (of which I seem to have more than usual this year).

Grady Sizemore ($23/L2) -- Two years left (including this year) on a long-term contract at $23. If I cut him outright, I lose $12 from my $260 cap going into the draft this year AND next year. My inclination is to keep and hope for the best.

Michael Brantley ($6/S2) -- Really not sure on this one but if he sticks in the everyday LF/lead-off role I'm thinking yes for the speed upside (of which I am lacking) but I have no idea if that will be the case.

Edwin Encarnacion ($1/S2) -- He helped destroy my chances last year but I'm thinking for $1 I might have to keep him as my CI.

Scott Baker ($12/L2) -- Ugh. Another long-term contract. If I cut him outright I lose $6 off my $260 cap this year AND next year. Again I'm thinking keep and hope for a rebound.

Jeff Niemann ($3/S2) -- Another player who destroyed my team in the second half as I chased his incredible first half numbers all year. At $3 do I keep him and hope for something in the middle: a reliable, cheap starter?

Thanks for any advice, rjbullpen.

I think you have to keep the extended contracts. Not sure you could do much better than Sizemore/Baker for a combined $17 after the drop hit.

Niemann--keep

EE---keep---25 hr's for $1

Brantley---I don't see him at the top of the lineup or a full time starter but I could see 350-400 AB's if things go well with 15-20 SB's. Toss up keep imo

[Gregg]

I keep Sizemore. Do not want to take a $12 hit, could rebound, not a bad gamble.

Keep EE, and Niemann. No on Brantley. That leaves Baker. The question is do you potentially lose more profit than if you dropped him? Are you spending $12 to get $6 or less in production? I guess a lot would depend on league pitcher inflation as well as what is back in the auction. Any chance to package him with Brantley in a trade?

[SenorSmoke]

I think you have to keep the extended contracts. Not sure you could do much better than Sizemore/Baker for a combined $17 after the drop hit.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I was thinking. Bad situation to have two long-term contracts go sour at once but they both have the *potential* for a fairly significant rebound and I think I'd rather take that gamble than trying to recover from a $17/two-year hit off my salary capy.