AL Only Strategery

[wombat104]

12 Teams, standard 5x5 scoring, with a fairly standard roster configuration: 2C, 1b, 2b, 3b, SS, MI, CI, 5 OF, 1 DH and 9 P. Keepers were just announced (we can keep up to 6). Two things jumped out at me:
1. Eight Catchers were kept
2. Ten Closers were kept

My keepers were Kipnis, Cespedes, Dirks, Iwakuma, and Griffin. If you had this team would you get into the ensuing bidding wars that will happen at auction for the remaining catchers and closers? If not would you tank one or both?

[Gregg]

I think there is a difference between tanking a category and planning to finish in the lower half (and still get some points). To me tanking means the possibility of 0 points or last place. I do not believe in tanking a category. So I would go after a solid closer and as cheap of a high risk closer as I could. Sort of closer and a half. This also allows me to pick up some points via trade in season or have a trading chip if I am out of it.

Catcher is a different story. I do not like to pay top dollar for that position. I would rather use the money for stats/stud elsewhere. I will usually leave two dollars for my end game second catcher. For my first catcher I will either look for the bargain or settle for a mid level catcher.

I play in AL and NL only 12 team 5x5 15 keepers 3 rookie status. 14 position, 9 pitchers, 17 man reserves.

[virgonomic]

In a 12-teamer, some teams will have 2 closers, many will have one, one or two will have none. Many situations are muddy right now (TOR, DET, CLE, LAA). I'd try to get one established guy (Rivera, Johnson, Hanrahan) and two potential closers (Pestano, Santos, Cook, McGee).

I think Perez could be traded this year making both he and Pestano closers.

A list of frozen C and CL would be helpful.

[Big Tymer]

Hard to give a definitive answer as so much league context comes into play. I am never a fan of chasing scarce positions as you just give even more value to the owners you are competing against who have this position as an area of strength. Every dollar you go over projected value on that scarce position only benefits those owners who don't need those stats and can just wait on the sidelines as auction dollars dwindle. So long as this isn't a trade averse league, I'd be perfectly ok not focusing on paying too much for saves at auction but rather trying to acquire them in-season while buying high-potential MR.

In terms of catchers, since this is a 2-catcher league I think you need to come away with 1 solid catcher at least. Probably ok for the 2nd catcher to be the weaker in a time share so long as you make up the offense somewhere else.

You say 10 closers were kept but there are a whole lot of unsettled / tenuous closer roles in the AL this year so odds are there is a lot more closer potential at auction than you think.

[wombat104]

Thanks for the comments, using the word tank was wrong, what I meant was not to pay for saves and focus on good-great setup mean. Here are the protected players in question:
Catchers: Wieters, Arencibia, Pierzynski, Doumit, Jaso, Montero, Perez, Santana
Closers: Reed, Riveria, Johnson, Frieri, Perkins, Nathan, Balfour, Wilhelmsen, Holland, Janssen

Based on the catchers, if I target one solid guy that I don't overpay for thinking someone like Aliva/Salty and pair him with a David Ross/Jason Castro type I should be ok (assuming I can get them for the proper prices)

For the closers I think it will be wise to target the high upside guys and maybe an injured guy (thinking Madson). If I could get a Madson, Santos, and another high upside I think I will be ok.

[virgonomic]

For the closers I think it will be wise to target the high upside guys and maybe an injured guy (thinking Madson). If I could get a Madson, Santos, and another high upside I think I will be ok.

Agreed. I like Madson to fly under the radar and get the job when he returns. I think Santos could start with the job and keep it. Other guys you can target are McGee, Cook, Strop, Robertson.

[TranaGreg]

Agreed. I like Madson to fly under the radar and get the job when he returns. I think Santos could start with the job and keep it. Other guys you can target are McGee, Cook, Strop, Robertson.

agreed. Plus my personal AL favourite for this year, Herrera.