How would you handle this rotation?

[onejayhawk]

Deep-roster 16-team H2H league. Three free keepers (K )and others have annually increasing options (#). The number corresponds to a draft round.

This is the starting point.

SP Gerrit Cole NYY - SP (K)
SP Dylan Cease CWS - SP (14)
SP Gavin Williams CLE - SP (11)
SP Brandon Pfaadt ARI - SP (20)
RP Jhoan Duran MIN - RP (7)

The offense has a great core--Acuna, Robert, Gunnar--and some established depth--Brandon Marsh, Logan O'Hoppe--but has significant questions.

Would you:

• Take this as the base rotation, filling bullpen and depth as covenient, and focusing on the offense with an eye to a championship.
• Invest in another starter but put the rest into the offense with an eye to winning.
• Invest in another closer but put the rest into the offense with an eye to winning.
• Go for value and hope for the best.
• Rebuild.

[onejayhawk]

Seriously, I want some feedback before the WS win is in the books. I am unsure whether to be conservative or aggressive this offseason.

Here is the full roster.

C
1B
2B Andrés Giménez CLE - 2B,SS (9)
3B Gunnar Henderson BAL - 3B,SS (10)
SS Elly De La Cruz CIN - 3B,SS (13)
CI
MI
OF Ronald Acuña Jr. ATL - OF (4)
OF Luis Robert Jr. CWS - OF (4)
OF Brandon Marsh PHI - OF (16)
OF
Util

SP Gerrit Cole NYY - SP (4)
SP Dylan Cease CWS - SP (14)
SP Gavin Williams CLE - SP (w)
SP Brandon Pfaadt ARI - SP (20)
RP Jhoan Duran MIN - RP (7)
RP
RP
P
P

BN Pete Crow-Armstrong CHC - OF (18)
BN Jackson Merrill SD - SS (23)
BN Wyatt Langford TEX - OF (26)

Iffy Logan O'Hoppe LAA - C and Colt Keith DET - 3B.

As you can see I need several hitters. I have three fairly good picks--#100 to 150 in redraft value. I can get a 1B and a closer but another SP is dicier. Four more middle-round picks will be suitable for batting depth as well as SP fliers and bullpen.

[harmon]

No reason to not go for it with your roster in a 16 teamer.

Lots of upside there and seems to be limited risk.

[Gregg]

What does a rebuild look like if you were to choose that route? I am thinking a rebuild would not look much different than "going for it."

What round would be assigned to O' Hoppe? If you don't keep him what is the catcher plan for both going for it and rebuilding?

[onejayhawk]

In redraft terms, O'Hoppe would be low to mid 200s. As an added benefit, the transaction would generate an extra option year for Colt Keith.

I was thinking that for both players, there would be a real chance to draft them in their option slot. Looking at some very early 2024 drafts, that might be optimistic for O'Hoppe.

Rebuild vs going for it would have more to do with predraft trading. For example, do I listen to offers for Elly de la Cruz and his three option years? Such trades occur after keepers finalize so it does not greatly affect the roster construction shown. I also have a couple of final-year players, Willy Adames and Alec Bohm, who may be worth their option cost but don't represent bargains. I left them out for simplicity.

In any event, the World Series is the last time a large-ish group stays in contact until nearly New Year.