Stanton for Strasburg?

[umjewman]

I think it's too rich for my blood, but I wanted to get some people's thoughts on this deal that was just proposed to me. It's a 12 team NL-Only, 5x5, 25-man roster, $280 cap league (the extra two spots are an extra pitcher and an extra UT), OBP instead of AVG.

I have Strasburg at $18, entering his final season. I was just offered Stanton at $20 through 2015 and A.J. Ramos at $2 (he would be due an extension at the end of 2014) for Strasburg (again, $18, expiring end of this year) and Rex Brothers at $5 (due extension at the end of 2014).

Strasburg is Strasburg obviously and I know Stanton had a down year last year. Not sure what the closer situation in Colorado is right now - I'm guessing Hawkins and Brothers split time for now, with Brothers ultimately becoming the closer by mid-season, which is making me think this is a but too expensive, but I wanted to get everyone else's take.

Rest of my definite keepers are: Buster Posey, Russell Martin, Gerardo Parra, Hunter Pence, Jeff Samardzija, Tyler Clippard, Aroldis Chapman. MLEs of Noah Syndergaard, Joc Pederson and Andrew Heaney.

Several maybes on my current roster depending on how roles shake out, but guys like Wilmer Flores, Mike Dunn, Kevin Siegrist, Ryan Sweeney, Derek Dietrich, Alexi Amarista, Donnie Murphy. Nothing overly significant that would change whether or not I would take the deal.

So, what say you? Should I trust my instinct here, or should I be clicking accept?

[joncarlos]

Yeah I think adding in Brothers makes it too costly. I would prefer 2 years of Stanton at 20 to 1 year of Strasburg at 18. I just think the price is wrong. Even if Brothers needed an extension now I'd probably do it just because he's so iffy. But he's a nice keeper and I don't see a lot of value in Ramos. You just never know in Miami.

[james33]

I see Brothers as quite iffy too - a $5 Rockies middle reliever with a chance at closing. And there are other relievers who could take the job rather than Brothers, or Hawkins could seize the job - too small sample sizes to count on Brothers. So I'd go for this, preferring Stanton $20 two years to Strasburg $18 one year, with the other guys not really mattering.

[BigJonEmpire]

I think adding Brothers makes it too much to give up. One for one I'd take Stanton.

[mjl]

The one piece I have a definite opinion about is that I think Ramos is way less relevant than Brothers. Brothers has already held the closing job for a while and did well with it. If the Marlins finally trade Cishek, they could easily decide to go with Capps over Ramos. Ramos was decent last year but he walked a lot of guys.

[Judge Jude]

I agree that Ramos is less relevant, but if you really prefer Stanton and his contract to Strasburg's, I don't think I'd let Brothers kill the deal. He was, finally, quite good last year, and when they signed Boone Logan to a 3-yr deal, I figured that was how they'd give Brothers, another lefty, the closer job.
But they don't seem to want to, for whatever reason. No guarantee that Belisle, also a good pitcher, doesn't take Hawkins' job instead if/when it comes to that.

[Gregg]

It seems everyone here would easily do Strasburg for Stanton. That is why he is asking for Brothers.

[madducks]

I prefer 1 year of Strasburg plus 2-3 years of Brothers over 2 years of Stanton. Strasburg is entering his third full season and i feel that he is ready to take that next step. I think that it won't take long for Hawkins to lose the closer job to Brothers in Colorado. Stanton, obviously has the power, but he gets injured a lot and has a weak lineup around him. So he seems like just a one category guy to me. And that is only if he can stay healthy.

[madducks]

Uh, Strasburg had Tommy John surgery....

Three years ago. He's had 28 and 30 starts the last two years. He was shut down early in 2012 for the now infamous ip limit. And he missed 4 starts last year due to various muscle "strains" and "tightness". But, i wouldn't be surprised if the Nats were secretly saving him for the post-season (which they missed anyway) and trying to avoid the media/fan backlash they received for limiting his ip the previous year.