Yates vs Rondon

[Sour Masher]

I will need to cut one as soon as Shark comes off the DL (I know many think Shark is done, but I'm flush with closers and very thin at SP, so cutting a closer to make room for him to see what he does makes sense to me).

So, who would you keep? Rondon seems like the obvious answer as he is in a closer share already. Yates is pitching over his head too. But I also have Hand (one of the many guys I have that everyone seems to think will get traded into a set up role), so the idea of holding Yates is appealing.

My other closers in this 14 team mixed league where I am running away with saves so far are Edwin Diaz, Brad Hand, Keon Kela, and Kyle Barraclough. So while I like them all, and despite being wary of Shark, I just think caring 6 relievers at this point is too much. And again, I'm just not getting anywhere near decent offers for any of these guys, except Diaz, who I don't want to trade. So it seems to come down to cutting Rondon or Yates. Rondon is the guy to keep in a vacuum, but is he still the guy if you don't really need saves now, and also own Hand?

[Hornsby]

I'd cut Yates, he really doesn't have the closer role, and there's really no reason to think that he's going to get it. Rondon has done it before, and he's done it well. I still have no idea what happened under Maddon with the Cubs. It's a good problem to have, and I'm guessing will serve you pretty well in off-season dealings.

[Sour Masher]

Well, isn't Yates the guy if/when Hand gets traded? There is growing buzz that will happen.

[Hornsby]

Well, isn't Yates the guy if/when Hand gets traded? There is growing buzz that will happen.

Sure he is...but why hold on to the guy who's next in line when you have a half a dozen closers already on your team?

[Sour Masher]

Sure he is...but why hold on to the guy who's next in line when you have a half a dozen closers already on your team?

Good point. I guess I just wonder if Rondon is actually a closer. Been a long time since the Stros have needed one, and no one I'm trying to sell him to seem to think he really has the job.

[chancellor]

I’d keep Rondon in a minute. He’s had success previously and he looks really good right now. Yates history sure isn’t anywhere near as good as Rondon’s

[Sour Masher]

I’d keep Rondon in a minute. He’s had success previously and he looks really good right now. Yates history sure isn’t anywhere near as good as Rondon’s

True. I guess I was blinded by how good he has been this year. I was surprised by how bad his 3 year numbers have been.

[chancellor]

True. I guess I was blinded by how good he has been this year. I was surprised by how bad his 3 year numbers have been.

Yates has made significant improvements, no doubt. I’m not clear how Rondon got so sideways with Madden in Chicago, but Houston is profiting. In a vacuum, Yates would be a great speculative pickup. But this isn’t Rondon’s first rodeo, and he was pretty darn good in his earlier rides.

Oh, and I’ve come to learn that Seitzer guy....well, he knows something about pitching.

[Sour Masher]

Screw it, I'm gonna keep them both. Shark has looked horrid in rehab, and looked like toast to start the year. I'll just keep hoarding reliever and once the trade deadline passes in the majors, If I have anyone left closing, I'm sure interest will spike then for my guys.

On a related note, as anyone else noticed in recent years, as it has been more common for losing teams to trade their closers to contenders to act as set up men, that closers on bad teams have lost trade value? Idk, it just seems harder to trade a closer on a bad team these days in my league.

[chancellor]

On a related note, as anyone else noticed in recent years, as it has been more common for losing teams to trade their closers to contenders to act as set up men, that closers on bad teams have lost trade value? Idk, it just seems harder to trade a closer on a bad team these days in my league.

I agree. Unless they’re very young and cheap or outrageously studly, I think you’re right about the new norm

[Ken]

I agree. Unless they’re very young and cheap or outrageously studly, I think you’re right about the new norm

Sounds like a market inefficiency which means we should take advantage. If they are extremely cheap, pounce. Every closer on a bad team is not going to end up being traded.

No one wanted Shane Greene this year when I tried to sell him in the offseason so I just kept him. And his 19 saves are already worth his price for the year.

[Sour Masher]

The flip side to guys being wary to trade for closers on bad teams before the MLB trade deadline is that they are also wary of trading for a closer on a good team that isn't very secure in the job. I can't get a plate of beans for Rondon, because I'm told the Stros will probably trade for a closer. The thing is that in my league, our trade deadline is the MLB trade deadline, which means the dust might not settle on all these situations in time for me to make fair value moves. I've advocated for pushing the deadline further, but people against it want to keep it early to limit dump deals.