NL pitching staff - what to do?

[joncarlos]

12 team NL only league. Standard $260 5x5. My offense is putrid. This isn't entirely surprising, given how I left the auction, as only Kolten Wong has really been below his 20th percentile projection. I have a well deserved 20 out of 60 points in hitting.

So I need to trade from my pitching staff, which is pretty good, if not elite. I'm listing their contracts in case there's any keeper value (probably only Nelson and Doolittle) that changes things. Guys with a * were FAAB purchases. I didn't want to wait around for a hitter to come into the league who could make a big difference, so I gambled on FAAB pitchers to build depth for trades.

Is trading Scherzer for a stud bat a feasible strategy with this squad?

SP Scherzer $58
SP Maeda $19
SP Roark $14
DL/SP Jimmy Nelson $8

A solid top 3. Hoping for lots of wins from Roark. If Nelson comes back healthy, he's a really good 4.

SP Derek Holland $8*
SP Trevor Williams $1
SP Chad Kuhl $1
SP Ty Blach $1

Now we get into the crux of the problem. If I have all of these guys and I can play the matchups, maybe they're OK for a deep NL only league. If I have to start them most every week, things could go awry.

RP Doolittle $18
RP Matt Albers $14*
RP Jordan Hicks $9*
RP Tony Watson $2
RP Bud Norris $1
RP Tommy Hunter $1

All of these guys are startable in this league, though starting 4 of them at a time might put a dent in W/K unless Hicks can whiff 100 in 65 innings.

[pitbull]

Scherzer is a terrific anchor for that staff. Maeda is your #2 but he has a problem getting through the 6th inning and when was the last time he pitched the 7th. Also I worry about him breaking down. Nelson will not be back until the 2nd half and he might make more sense moving him to a team playing for next season. Hicks might be good in this situation also but again his early success might not play out when the weather warms up (I heard rumors it might go to the 60s tomorrow) and facing hitters the second time around.

Not sure moving Scherzer fixes the offense but perhaps moving one of the other pieces on your pitching staff for a hitter that can plug a hole which you have a few could help. Apparently I no longer have hitters on my team as my top 3 Eaton, Saurez and Souza are at the local tavern trying to figure out why I have 3 catchers starting in a 1 catcher league. Go figure.

[harmon]

I don't think you are in a position to trade Scherzer. You need to look at moving the "newly trendy" guys like Hicks and Albers, and then Nelson to a rebuilding team.

[gcstomp]

M Scherzer playing his role as champion maker cant be traded. You are in 1st, he is the reason. You need to hang in till rebuild season starts then offer up anything but Scherzer. Same you did all these prior years you held C Kershaw and he carried you to money finishes every year. You never actually hold your #1 farm pick that I can remember.

[Judge Jude]

let's talk on May 1
or May 15