12-team mixed, two questions

[mjl]

1) I made a possibly silly trade just because I felt like I had way too many guys I wanted to keep and I am a little overexcited about Matt Harvey.

I am already keeping Craig 8, Castro 14, Cespedes 7. Pick three more guys out of this to keep: Reyes 31, Pierre 6, Price 26, Howard 8, Harvey 6.

(I traded away a $25 Wright and $7 De Aza, which may have been dumb, but De Aza just isn't exciting and although I like Wright, intercostal strains worry me and I have to make the decision by tomorrow.)

2) Our minor leaguers' contracts don't start until they get called up (not counting post-Sept 1 callups). Given that, would I rather have Wil Myers $2 or Billy Hamilton $1? Myers, right?

[JudeBaldo]

Reyes, Price, and Harvey. I love me some Billy Hamilton, but I'd probably lean Myers because I see him as having more tools.

[Stephen]

I'd keep Price, Pierre and Harvey & Myers for your prospect pick.

Given that you have Castro and Reyes I'd have like to have seen you give up Reyes in the deal rather than Wright. Reyes at $31 in a 12 team mixed league is pushing it when you already have a very strong SS in Castro. Pierre is ancient, but still productive and playing on a team that has nothing to lose so 35-45 steals seems like a good estimate for him. Take those steals and bank the extra $25 bucks and see if you can't get a better fit for your team in the auction.

[JudeBaldo]

I'd keep Price, Pierre and Harvey & Myers for your prospect pick.

Given that you have Castro and Reyes I'd have like to have seen you give up Reyes in the deal rather than Wright. Reyes at $31 in a 12 team mixed league is pushing it when you already have a very strong SS in Castro. Pierre is ancient, but still productive and playing on a team that has nothing to lose so 35-45 steals seems like a good estimate for him. Take those steals and bank the extra $25 bucks and see if you can't get a better fit for your team in the auction.

My issue with Pierre is that I almost never want to keep a player that does only one thing. Though Pierre at $6 seems cheap.

[Stephen]

I tend to agree with you, but in this case I'm weighing it as Pierre & $25 versus just Reyes with only 12 teams. If he didn't have Castro, I'd say just pay for the star, but since he does I'm less inclined.

Just to grab a prominent analysts projections who I won't name since these projections aren't free:

Reyes: .307 13 HR, 58 RBI, 96 Runs, 41 Steals
Pierre: .296 1 HR, 32 RBI, 68 Runs, 38 Steals

By no means am I suggesting that Reyes doesn't carry more value, I'm just not sure that it is $25 more and locking up the MI spot where you can often times find a good cheap keeper if you look.

Then you can take that $25 and potentially get a key player like Cespedes, Heyward, etc or just re-buy Reyes around $31 if you want.

The other solution is that if you aren't required to keep that many keepers is just to throw Pierre and Reyes back and go in with the $37 and take your chances.

[Gregg]

I am not a fan of Pierre, but I do not see how you don't keep a .297 ave and 38 steals for 6 bucks.

I like Billy Hamilton very much, but I also would keep Wil Meyers without question.

[mjl]

a couple notes:

1) yeah, I would rather have given up Reyes also. I do have a possible offer on the table of Reyes, Howard, Pierre, and ECabrera for Dickey $9. Obviously that's a lot to give up but it's not like I can keep all those guys anyway. I am going to try to get him to replace Howard or Pierre with Price since I have had a lot of success in the last few years picking up SPs during the season so I don't feel as much obligation to keep ace SPs even at decent prices and I'd really prefer not to keep three pitchers. Last year I was able to pick up McCarthy, Hammel, Bailey, Smyly, and Fiers during the season.

2) There was some confusion in our league about how keeping minor leaguers works, and it's currently being voted on. The rules as written say that we have three rounds of picking minor leaguers, priced at $3, $2, $1, and you can keep up to three minor leaguers at prices of $3, $2, and $1. I made a trade last year such that I now have Sano $3, Hamilton $1, Taveras $1, and it's being debated whether I can jump one of my $1 guys to $2 or if I just can't keep all of them. The guy with Myers $2 offered him for Hamilton $1. I should just take that? I am a little worried about Hamilton's ability to get on base in the majors, and I already have him in my other league so I'd rather not be disappointed in both of them if he flames out :P

[Gregg]

I would take the Meyers for Hamilton deal.