What to do with deGrom?

[Gregg]

deGrom will be in our auction this year. He was kept at 50 for the last three years. 5x5 NL only 12 teams 260 budget.

Given his injury concerns, what would you pay for him at auction?

If you had him at 50 would you keep him this coming year?

[Ken]

Almost impossible to answer that without an idea of inflation.

I would guess the answer is no on $50, but I could see some situations with extreme inflation where it makes sense.

[TranaGreg]

my initial non-analytical reaction - if he's looking healthy in the spring I'd have a hard time throwing him back at 50

[Sour Masher]

my initial non-analytical reaction - if he's looking healthy in the spring I'd have a hard time throwing him back at 50

I hate guys like this, not that there have ever been many guys like this. And by "like this" I mean a guy who, if healthy, could very easily be the #1 fantasy producer in baseball, but also a guy for whom that if is a very big if. The risk at that price point is so high. I've been burnt by high priced pitchers before, so I doubt I land him, even though he could easily out earn that $50 price tag, depending on your inflation rate.

For me, it comes down to these two questions: can you win in 2022 and if so, how much risk do you think you need to take to win in 2022? For me, the ideal landing spot for Degrom is a good team that needs someone who could be the best pitcher in baseball to really be a contender. He is not ideal for a clear favorite who should mitigate risk as much as possible, and he should not be bought by a rebuilding who has no chance of winning, because even if he is great early, his trade market might be depressed due to the potential for injury and that money would be better spent on safer players you can trade down the line.

[rhd]

my initial non-analytical reaction - if he's looking healthy in the spring I'd have a hard time throwing him back at 50

If you hesitate to throw an injured $50 pitcher back, man that league must have some serious inflation!

[The Feral Slasher]

I hate guys like this, not that there have ever been many guys like this. And by "like this" I mean a guy who, if healthy, could very easily be the #1 fantasy producer in baseball, but also a guy for whom that if is a very big if. The risk at that price point is so high. I've been burnt by high priced pitchers before, so I doubt I land him, even though he could easily out earn that $50 price tag, depending on your inflation rate.

For me, it comes down to these two questions: can you win in 2022 and if so, how much risk do you think you need to take to win in 2022? For me, the ideal landing spot for Degrom is a good team that needs someone who could be the best pitcher in baseball to really be a contender. He is not ideal for a clear favorite who should mitigate risk as much as possible, and he should not be bought by a rebuilding who has no chance of winning, because even if he is great early, his trade market might be depressed due to the potential for injury and that money would be better spent on safer players you can trade down the line.

This is a great post. He is potentially the best player available....but potentially could be almost worthless. So deciding what to do with him or what to bid on him really depends on your roster and how much risk you can take.

[The Feral Slasher]

If you hesitate to throw an injured $50 pitcher back, man that league must have some serious inflation!

I get your point, but deGrom is a unicorn.

[chancellor]

I get your point, but deGrom is a unicorn.

Who's being hunted in the Enchanted Forest by an evil Wizard called Tommy John.

Low to mid-30s, I'd go there. At about $35 in an auction, I'm out on DeGrom.

[DMT]

This is a great post. He is potentially the best player available....but potentially could be almost worthless. So deciding what to do with him or what to bid on him really depends on your roster and how much risk you can take.

Which is exactly while I'll be nominating him first next spring.

[harmon]

Which is exactly while I'll be nominating him first next spring.

I think that's a good strategy if you want to get him and a bad one if you're trying to suck some cash out.

If a few of the big name pitchers are sold before deGrom is put up there may be a couple of bidders putting in panic bids for their only hope at an ace.

If he's first to go up there's probably some hesitancy by everyone.

[Gregg]

Who's being hunted in the Enchanted Forest by an evil Wizard called Tommy John.

Low to mid-30s, I'd go there. At about $35 in an auction, I'm out on DeGrom.

As well as:

Over the past two seasons, deGrom has missed time due to neck, lat, back, shoulder, forearm and elbow issues, none of them proving overly serious until his final start of the first half against the Brewers

[Gregg]

Which is exactly while I'll be nominating him first next spring.

At point would you feel the need to jump back in?

At what price would you be happy to win him?

[Ken]

At point would you feel the need to jump back in?

At what price would you be happy to win him?

What's your league's inflation?

[DMT]

At point would you feel the need to jump back in?

At what price would you be happy to win him?

I'm keeping Wheeler, Woodruff, Flaherty, Peralta, and Bassitt, so there's zero interest in adding him.

[DMT]

I think that's a good strategy if you want to get him and a bad one if you're trying to suck some cash out.

If a few of the big name pitchers are sold before deGrom is put up there may be a couple of bidders putting in panic bids for their only hope at an ace.

If he's first to go up there's probably some hesitancy by everyone.

Interesting, I'll have to give it some more thought, but most of the aces are locked up so he's going to draw heavy interest. Last year he went for $50 and several owners were grumbling about not bidding more.