Young-ins that face planted

[madducks]

Yep -- that hamate bone issue gets them every time. Hamate breaks pretty much get me to ignore that player for the season

This is exactly why i dealt Sandoval for cheap when he broke his hamate bone a few months back. I expected a major loss of power in the second half. But Kung Fu Panda has proven to be the exception to the rule. Go figure.

[Judge Jude]

This year I dealt-away can't-miss Dee Gordon and Jordan Lyles before their recall.

We'll see, but for every Helton and Stanton big hits I dealt away (ouch), I've moved 10 Felix Pie and Ian Stewarts to win pennants.

I'm in no mood to change now. I have 5 blue chip prospects, but doubt any will spend 2-3 years on my roster (Hanson is my current exception, because he didn't have enough hype to sell high on). Usually you can sell them higher than they ever climb themselves.

[The Dane]

This year I dealt-away can't-miss Dee Gordon and Jordan Lyles before their recall.

We'll see, but for every Helton and Stanton big hits I dealt away (ouch), I've moved 10 Felix Pie and Ian Stewarts to win pennants.

I'm in no mood to change now. I have 5 blue chip prospects, but doubt any will spend 2-3 years on my roster (Hanson is my current exception, because he didn't have enough hype to sell high on). Usually you can sell them higher than they ever climb themselves.

I've been playing by this maxim for years. Everybody KNOWS it to be true, but they just can't resist that young hyped player. I like them too, but mainly as a way to get other owners to give up their "real" players. Last year I got a mint for Domonic Brown, who still may be something, and if the usual pattern holds true, I'll grab him for a buck after a couple of seasons of disappointment and then he'll bust out, so I can trade him again. You may dismay giving up Stanton, but keep in mind that it is his meteoric and highly-publicized rise into prominence that makes some joker give his whole team for Jerry Sands because some knucklehead analyst compares him to Stanton in one instance. You need to sacrifice the Stantons so you can continue to maul them with all the flops.

[Judge Jude]

"You need to sacrifice the Stantons so you can continue to maul them with all the flops."

From one ruthless shark to another..... we'll never convince the romantics, though!

I think many owners want to own a 'story' more than they want to win, and that's fine......

[Sour Masher]

I think many owners want to own a 'story' more than they want to win, and that's fine......

I agree completely. I play up the stories to get repeate business. I've made a living off of developing a great minor league system and trading those guys to dumpers. While other owners hide from the "mistakes" of trading great young players, and play up the deals where they gave flops for great expiring contract players, I do the opposite. I neglect to highlight the trades where I gave players like Hermida and Wieters and Smoak and instead highlight the trades where I gave guys like Verlander and Jered Weaver (both of those do hurt--TINSTAAPP, my butt). It helps me continue to make the moves I want. It's like advertising "winning lottery ticket sold here."

Thinking about the moves I made though, it is interesting that despite the long-held belief that pitching prospects bust more often than hitters, by and large most hitting prospects I've dealt in recent years--such as Edwin Encarnacion, Jeremy Hermida, and more recently Wieters and Smoak--haven't panned out (or panned out too late to be of value to my trade partner, like Alex Gordon who I also dealt a few years back). I did deal Harper and Trout last year, so that streak will likely be broken. But the pitchers I've dealt over the years have almost all worked out beyond any reasonable expectations. I've traded Verlander, Weaver, Lester, and more recently Bumgarner and Cahill to name a few, and aside from one, Joel Zumaya, I can't think of one that didn't pan out to some degree. Weird.

All that said, I have hung on to some favorites along the way. It may cost me a title this year, but I held on the Matt Moore and Shelby Miller when they would have netted me Halladay. I instead traded Taillon and Singleton to land CC Sabathia. I could have landed both, but it seemed like over kill, and I think trading ALL of your best prospects is a recipe for long term disaster.

[schlesinj]

"You need to sacrifice the Stantons so you can continue to maul them with all the flops."

From one ruthless shark to another..... we'll never convince the romantics, though!

I think many owners want to own a 'story' more than they want to win, and that's fine......

Before the season started I moved essentially Teheran $4 for Kemp $20 last year and Strasburg $5 s1 (meaning next year he needs an extension) for Ulbaldo $8 (last year). You win some and lose some.

[schlesinj]

Speaking of:
The Angels are expected to call up right-hander Jerome Williams from Triple-A Salt Lake. (He will presumably replace Trevor Bell, who was sent back to the minors following Tuesday's game. Williams, 29, hasn't pitched in the major leagues since 2007 as a member of the Nationals. He has a 3.91 ERA and 60/15 K/BB ratio over 73 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season. He isn't fantasy relevant.)