2K15 AL Only Keepers

[BuckyBuckner]

It's that time again to try to figure out what to do with my team. It's a 12 team 5x5 (normal cats with K/IP) AL only, $265 budget. We draft 10 pitchers but the hitter positions are the normal. We can keep 12, there is no minimum. A = goes into second year, B = option year, F = can be kept just this year only. What do you guys think?


Matt Wieters 17A
Chris Davis 19C16
Conor Gillaspie 7A
Rougned Odor 10A
Gordon Beckham 10A
Jemile Weeks 2A
Eduardo Nunez 10A
Oswaldo Arcia 10B
Leonys Martin 15C16
Albert Pujols 34A
Carlos Carrasco 10F
Chris Archer 5B
Ivan Nova 1B
Jake Odorizzi 5A
Jarrod Parker 2A
Josh Fields 8A
Michael Pineda 4B
Neftali Feliz 5B
Sonny Gray 3B
Vinnie Pestano 1A
Yoervis Medina 2A

[virgonomic]

Chris Davis 19C16
Rougned Odor 10A
Oswaldo Arcia 10B
Leonys Martin 15C16
Carlos Carrasco 10F
Chris Archer 5B
Ivan Nova 1B
Jake Odorizzi 5A
Michael Pineda 4B
Neftali Feliz 5B
Sonny Gray 3B

I'd keep these 11, extending Gray and Pineda. If it's $5 per year I'd go 3 on Gray and 1 on Pineda.

[joncarlos]

I would not keep Nova. I would add Gillaspe to Virgo's list.

[wombat104]

I like Virgo's list as is.

[axman]

I agree with Virgo's list also. I would only extend Gray one year to $8 and Pineda to $9.

[SlideRule]

I like the Virgo list (the one without Gillaspie. I'll split the difference and say 2 years on Gray.

[BuckyBuckner]

Virgo's list is very close to what I've been thinking. I'm a little surprised no one likes Wieters. McCann (who went for $26 last year), Martin and Gattis are going to be the only other catchers available that will be worth a damn. I think Wieters at $17 is a fair value, sure it's not a bargain but it's still a solid price. I just don't see him going to any less. 30 HR upside with average from your catcher spot for $17 seems like a good deal.

I can trade Pujols for a draft pick so I am going to do that.

I like Nova but I'm concerned about how healthy he'll be this year. I've shopped him around and no one seems to be interested. Gillaspie is another guy that a few people have had interest in.

As for the extension, I agree that extending Gray is the right move, I was thinking just one year. Pineda's health history makes me very worried about extending. I had been thinking about extending Archer cause I think he is on the verge of taking the next step.

Thanks for the replies, I would appreciate some more.

[BigJonEmpire]

Matt Wieters 17A - keep, 24 catchers in an AL-only league really boosts his value
Chris Davis 19C16 - You kinda half to keep him and I think he'll bounce back to around 2013's level
Conor Gillaspie 7A - I wouldnt keep him, he is a fine player trade him if you can, I think you can use the salary better
Rougned Odor 10A - keep, he's locked in now
Gordon Beckham 10A - pass, you might re-consider if he became the starter again, but he wasn't worth much even then
Jemile Weeks 2A - pass,
Eduardo Nunez 10A - pass
Oswaldo Arcia 10B - keep, I like him for the power and I think he'll improve but I wouldn't extend him.
Leonys Martin 15C16 - keep, I like him and I think he will be better used under new management
Albert Pujols 34A - on the high side but not a disaster salary or anything , probably better to move him for the pick
Carlos Carrasco 10F - keep, depending on how much you like him you might throw him back and repurchase for 15-20 and keep him longer. I think he'll be worth that.
Chris Archer 5B - Keep, i give him a year, you can make the case for two but pitcher extensions can be suicidal to draft budgets
Ivan Nova 1B - keepable but I'd pass unless I was willing to extend him.
Jake Odorizzi 5A - keep, he's underrated and has been his professional career
Jarrod Parker 2A - If you're in go for it mode I'd pass, in re-build mode I'd keep.
Josh Fields 8A - I think he is now far enough down the save pecking order to throw back and get cheaper
Michael Pineda 4B - keep, but I would only extend in re-building mode (one year only either way)
Neftali Feliz 5B - keep but don't extend, his history of both injuries and changing roles is enough to make the extension seem like a bad idea.
Sonny Gray 3B - keep and defnitely extend at least a year, I'd probably take a chance at 13c17 because I think he can be special
Vinnie Pestano 1A - pass, you can use the roster spot better
Yoervis Medina 2A- Pass, he earned that last year but you may do better in the roster spot or you can get hm back.

[chancellor]

I'm pretty much with JC - Virgonomic's list minus Nova, plus Gillaspie. And I'd keep Wieters. I'd give one year to Archer and Gray and not extend Pineda. His health issues have me pretty paranoid.

If you can get good value for LMartin, he's the one I'd deal. He's a cripple against lefties, his BA was propped up by a pretty favorable hit rate, and that hope for a little power out of him has proven to be a complete mirage.

[BuckyBuckner]

I just traded for Erick Aybar $17A (for a third round pick in next year's minor league draft) and I made the Pujols for a pick (first round next year) trade.


Matt Wieters 17A
Chris Davis 19C16
Rougned Odor 10A
Erick Aybar 17A
Oswaldo Arcia 10B
Leonys Martin 15C16

Carlos Carrasco 10F
Chris Archer 5B
Jake Odorizzi 5A
Michael Pineda 4B
Sonny Gray 3B
Neftali Feliz 5B

I agree with everyone that extending Feliz is a bad idea and Arcia is not worth it. My feeling is that I was going to extend Archer and Gray one year each but now I'm tempted to extend Gray two years and I kind of want to extend Pineda one year as well. But that is a lot of extensions for pitchers. I was debating trying to move two of my starters for a higher end starter but I feel they are all overpriced even though people will be keeping them. For example Alex Cobb is $26 and is going to be kept. David Price is $30 and Felix Hernandez is $31. They are both owned by the same team so I figure one will be kept. But I'd rather have the $20 available in the draft than trade for one of those guys. I realize that a pitching staff with my current guys probably isn't the staff of a winning team but my plan was to spend about $20 on the remaining four pitchers and the remaining $200 on offense. I figure I can trade the pitchers that I extend or Odorizzi for an upgrade during the season.

I'm still trying to work a few more deals, I have the first overall pick (hello Yoan Moncada - assuming he doesn't make the team) in the minor league draft and the 5th overall as well. I already have Carlos Correa $10M, Raul Mondesi $3M, Blake Swihart $5M and Kyle Zimmer $10M in my farm system and you can only keep 5. So either the 5th overall or Kyle Zimmer needs to find a new home. I figure the 5th overall has better trade value so I've been shopping that.

[joncarlos]

Honestly, I know it's a risky staff but considering all the #2/#3 types you have, I can see that being a winning staff paired with a $200+ offense. I still wouldn't extend Pineda - he is just way too prone to serious injuries. If you trust Gray to be durable even if he's not an ace, I guess I see the argument for going 2 years. I wouldn't do it but I see it. The problem I see is that I really don't love any of your offensive keepers. Aybar is at value if you're lucky. Same with Odor and Wieters. I like Arcia better than any of those guys at his price.

[BuckyBuckner]

Aybar earned $21 last year according to the Forcaster and is projected to earn $18 before inflation. I don't have any real bargains on offense, though I think there is potential for profit in almost everyone.

[Moonlight J]

Matt Wieters 17A
Chris Davis 19C16
Conor Gillaspie 7A
Rougned Odor 10A
Gordon Beckham 10A
Jemile Weeks 2A
Eduardo Nunez 10A
Oswaldo Arcia 10B
Leonys Martin 15C16
Albert Pujols 34A
Carlos Carrasco 10F
Chris Archer 5B
Ivan Nova 1B
Jake Odorizzi 5A
Jarrod Parker 2A
Josh Fields 8A
Michael Pineda 4B
Neftali Feliz 5B
Sonny Gray 3B
Vinnie Pestano 1A
Yoervis Medina 2A

[SlideRule]

You wouldn't keep a $5 closer (Feliz) or a $5 Archer in a 12-team only where they draft 10 pitchers? Not sure how you keep Odorizzi and not Archer.

[BuckyBuckner]

You wouldn't keep a $5 closer (Feliz) or a $5 Archer in a 12-team only where they draft 10 pitchers? Not sure how you keep Odorizzi and not Archer.

I'm going on the assumption that he didn't notice them. I know it's Jason and all but I'm not throwing them back because he said not to keep them.