2K23 Mixed League HDID

[BuckyBuckner]

I had my first auction draft of the year. It's a 15 team 5x5 standard categories except OPS instead of AVG. 50 players per team, 25 active with a 25 player bench. Daily transactions, no IL spots. For the draft, we have an auction for 30 players with a budget of $280 and then a snake draft for the remaining 20 players with the round determining the salary. There are no contracts for players, major leaguers salaries increase by $3 and rookie eligible players don't have their salaries increased. I had the strongest keeper list going into the draft, and I identified the five best hitters in the draft: Trout, Acuna, Soto, Turner and Freeman. I wanted to get two of them for about $100-$A110. I succeeded in doing that and was able to wait out the middle of the draft where players went for way more than they should and then filled out my roster once inflation disappeared. The asterisk denotes the keepers. Here's what I got:

C	Varsho,Daulton*	$10
C	Contreras,Willson*	$14
1B	Tellez,Rowdy*	$8
CR	Freeman,Freddie	$46
3B	Villar,David	$1
2B	Chisholm,Jazz*	$11
MI	Lowe,Brandon*	$16
SS	Estrada,Thairo*	$4
OF	Harris,Michael*	$8
OF	O Neill,Tyler*	$7
OF	Acuna,Ronald	$56
OF	Winker,Jesse	$11
OF	Grisham,Trent	$8
DH	Santana,Carlos	$4
UT	Friedl,T.J.	$4
P	Rodon,Carlos*	$7
P	Strider,Spencer*	$5
P	Glasnow,Tyler*	$11
P	Kirby,George*	$5
P	McKenzie,Triston*	$9
P	Lodolo,Nick*	$8
P	Eflin,Zach	$4
P	Hendriks,Liam	$5
P	Leclerc,Jose*	$5
P	Diaz,Alexis*	$5
BN	Winn,Masyn	$2
BN	McCullers,Lance	$2
BN	Holliday,Jackson	$2
BN	Buehler,Walker	$1
BN	Garcia,Luis V.	$1
Draft	Vesia,Alex	$10
Draft	Garrett,Braxton	$9
Draft	Neris,Hector	$8
Draft	Lorenzen,Michael	$7
Draft	Crawford,J.P.	$6
Draft	Amador,Adael	$5
Draft	Collier,Cam	$5
Draft	Encarnacion-Strand,Christian	$5
Draft	Hall,D.L.*	$5
Draft	Henderson,Gunnar*	$5
Draft	Abel,Mick*	$5
Draft	Casas,Triston*	$4
Draft	Auer,Mason	$3
Draft	Arias,Roderick	$2
Draft	Mize,Casey	$1
Draft	Perez,Eury*	$1
Draft	Moreno,Gabriel*	$1
Draft	Busch,Michael*	$1
Draft	Peguero,Liover*	$1
Draft	Pepiot,Ryan*	$1

At the very end of the draft, almost everyone was down to dollar days except for me with a $4 max bid and one other team with a $4 max bid as well. I was waiting on Buehler and I pretty much knew that the other team with $4 was waiting on Puk. He figured I wanted Puk as well. I did but not as much as Buehler. Someone called out Put and he immediately went to $4. So now, I can take the next three players from anyone. That's how I got Winn McCullers and Holliday. Holliday was called out by the guy that got Puk. He was hoping I wouldn't say $2 to save my last extra dollar to make sure I got Buehler. There was one more people to call out a name before me so I gambled that he wouldn't call Buehler. I was right and got Holliday and Buehler. Needless to say, the owner was not too pleased.

I'm happy with this team. With daily transactions you need a lot of starters and I do wish I had one more starter better than Efflin but I can fix that as the season progresses. I'm light on saves but also something I can fix during the season.

[Gregg]

I like your team, love your pitching for the money spent. I enjoyed the end of the draft story/strategy. Should be very competitive and fun to manage.

As you mentioned you will have to work on saves. Curious as to what closers went for in the auction portion.

[harmon]

Looks like a killer good squad. Make plans for your parade.

[virgonomic]

Shrewd endgame that netted you a prime keeper.

Your offense and SP are stacked.

I don't love the Hendriks buy but if he comes back healthy he's a steal. After buying him, I'd have grabbed a speculative closer or 2 in the reserves and as noted that should be your focus.

[Ken]

I'm not quite as high as others on this one.

The injury risk in the pitching staff is my first red flag, Glasnow and Rodon are both already injured and big injury risks all season. I would have wanted more focus on finding other starters. Eflin is fine, he's not really the problem here, it's more the lack of depth after him. I guess you can use the cheap injured guys to trade for some starters.

On the offense side I dont mind Villar and Friedl but they feel like bench plays in this format rather than starters.

[harmon]

I'm not quite as high as others on this one.

The injury risk in the pitching staff is my first red flag, Glasnow and Rodon are both already injured and big injury risks all season. I would have wanted more focus on finding other starters. Eflin is fine, he's not really the problem here, it's more the lack of depth after him. I guess you can use the cheap injured guys to trade for some starters.

On the offense side I dont mind Villar and Friedl but they feel like bench plays in this format rather than starters.

Gunnar and Casas are available to become starters I'm guessing (?)

[BuckyBuckner]

I like your team, love your pitching for the money spent. I enjoyed the end of the draft story/strategy. Should be very competitive and fun to manage.

As you mentioned you will have to work on saves. Curious as to what closers went for in the auction portion.

A lot of closers were kept. the two best available were Hader and Helsley and they went for $22 and $24 respectively. Alex Lange went for $8. That was about what most other would be closers went for.

[BuckyBuckner]

Gunnar and Casas are available to become starters I'm guessing (?)

Yes. Was just going to post that. Thank you. That's why I only spent $1 on my third basemen. I had one already. Gabe Moreno is also there as my backup catcher.

[Ken]

Gunnar and Casas are available to become starters I'm guessing (?)

That's fair, but why $4 on Friedl then?

[BuckyBuckner]

That's fair, but why $4 on Friedl then?

I like him.

[BuckyBuckner]

Thought I'd give a mid season report. The pitching has been a struggle as we thought. I've made two big trades in this league.

First trade:

Dansby Swanson $12, Carlos Correa $21, Alex Verdugo $10, Juan Soto $54 and Anthony Rizzo $19

for

Liover Peguero $1, J.P. Crawford $8, Jackson Holliday $2, D.L. Hall $5 and Trent Grisham $8

Second trade:

Jordan Romano $11, George Springer $32, Trea Turner $55, Luis Castillo $12 and Ozzie Albies $30

for

Lance McCullers $2, Thairo Estrada $4, Walker Buehler $1, Michael Busch $1 and Rowdy Tellez $8

Now my team looks like this:

C: WilContreras $14, DVarsho $10 and GMoreno $1
CR: FFreeman $46, ARizzo $18, GHenderson $5, TCasas $4, CSantana $4
MI: OAlbies $30, DSwanson $12, TTurner $55, CCorrea $21, LGarcia $1, JChisholm $11, BLowe $16
OF: HMarris $8, JSoto $53, RAcuna $56, GSpringer $32, JSanchez $2, TJFriedl $4, JWinker $11, AVerdugo $10, TO'Neill $7

SP: GKirby $5, TGlasnow $11, CRodon $7, LCastillo $12, EPerez $1, ZEflin $4, BElder $3, SStrider $5, BGarrett $9, TMcKenzie $9, NLodolo $8
RP: JRomano $11, ADiaz $5, TMay $5, JLawrence $1, JMerryweather $1, HNeris $8, LHendricks $5

Prospects: AAmador $5, MWynn $2, RArias $2, CEncarnacio-Strand 5, CCollier $5, MAuer $3, MAbel $5, RPepiot $1

I think the hardest part right now will be making sure that I have the right guys in the lineup each day. I'm 16.5 points out of first place in 4th right now. I have room to grow in Ws and Ks and with Castillo and Rodon I can make up some good ground. HR and RBI are also a little weak so I think these two trades will help me gain ground there.