All-Purpose Fantasy Baseball 2018 thread

Speaking of balancing an evaluation of what is happening this season with players' established values, I got an offer in another league today. He wants either Jose Berrios or Mike Clevinger and he is willing to trade Justin Turner or Eugenio Suarez. I need another third baseman. Giving up a pitcher is a bit of a risk because I also have deGrom, but due to our league's innings limit, I can't use more than five starters per week, anyway.

The league is a keeper, but we only protect two players each year, so that really doesn't involve the guys we're talking about here. Berrios has great upside and has shown flashes of dominance, but he's struggling. Clevinger isn't quite as gifted, but he's been very good since late last season, so I'm leaning toward dealing Berrios.

The tougher part for me is Suarez or Turner. Turner has clearly been the better player the last two seasons and he is expected back this week, but I'm concerned about the wrist injury ruining his season. Suarez is off to a great start, but that's what he always does. He also tends to finish strong, but the middle of the season has not been so kind the last two seasons.

Any thoughts in general or just on Suarez or Turner for the rest of this season?

 

I don't trust Suarez but that is based on nothing.

 

I had him the last two years and I don't trust him based on something. Both times, he started and finished strong, but stunk the middle three months or so. The overall numbers work out to be decent, but not close to the pace he is on right now. Perhaps he will consolidate his skills a bit and find more consistency this season. He's got power and patience and he's only 26.

Even with the injury, Turner is the safer bet. Also it's an odd scoring format and strikeouts are a negative, which favors Turner. I just wanted to gather some other opinions.

 

Beware, A.J. Pollock owners. They may be calling his latest injury a sprained thumb, but given his history, this will not end well.

 

How long is too long to wait to drop Marcell Ozuna? Had him on the bench for a couple week, is is time to cut bait? Too for a guy who was preseason top 50?

 

I've got him in one league and I'm still waiting. Maybe last year's breakout was a fluke, but I think he's still got another 20-plus home runs in there somewhere. I guess it depends what other options are available to you.

 

I'd ride it out with Ozuna for now. His BABIP is running a little low and his HR/FB ratio is down even though his hard-hit rate is up.

 

Got offered a trade, Vlad Guerrero Jr for Quintana. It'll deplete my rotation a bit, leaving me with Verlander, deGrom, Newcomb, Berrios and Sabathia, but I have to take that, right? I kind of ended up with Quintana by mistake and this my second season dealing with his ups and downs. I think he'll be better the rest of the way than he has been, but Vladdy seems like a dynasty no-brainer.

 

I guess it depends on the keeper rules in your dynasty league. As long as you are going to be able to hang on to Guerrero, I think you need to make that deal.

 

You can keep as many players as you want and salaries rise by 50 percent every season. Guerrero costs $1, Quintana $16. So I'll be able to keep Guerrero for a good long time, assuming he pans out. And I saved cap space for this season. I now have Machado, Moustakas and Guerrero at 3b. If Guerrero comes up and rakes, I'll have some good trade bait.

 

Oh, with the difference in salaries you definitely have to make that deal.

 

Just swung a big trade for Harper (who's been terrible lately, but I'm hoping that turns around). Gave up Belt, Trea Turner and Daniel Murphy to get him.

Then I got offered Gerritt Cole and Bregman for Acuna, Soroka and Machado. It's tempting. Bregman and Machado are a wash in salary ($37) and close in points (I think Machado has scored about 20 points more than Bregman). Cole's salary is $23, so for the 2019 season he'll cost $35, which still puts him in keeper territory. Acuna's is $16, so he'll probably be a keeper for 2019 and 2020. Soroka costs a buck, so he'd be a keeper for years if he's as good as he has looked.

Essentially, it feels like Cole for Acuna and Soroka. (FWIW, my outfield would be Bellinger, Harper, Soto and Profar, and my pitching staff would include Verlander, deGrom, Cole, Newcomb and Berrios.) Thoughts?