Fantasy Baseball 2025 Running Thread

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Why is Ragans the most expensive player on that list, in terms of draft pick compensation? But aces are hard to find and I think you can find a Williams-esque closer in the draft. Plus, you know, he may combust in New York, though keeping the beard might help. #CrossThreading

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I would take the 5 you said

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I've got another keeper list due in a week. It is a standard Yahoo league. I can protect five players. At least one must be a pitcher. I've got the first pick. I also have extra picks in the second, third, and fourth rounds, so I have a promising start despite my team being a disaster last season. Drafting seven players among the first 36 selections should be fun.

Here are my top keeper options with the round of draft pick they would cost me

Julio Rodriguez 12
Ketel Marte 18
Junior Caminero 21
Riley Greene 20
Cole Ragans 4
Devin Williams 19

Rodriguez, Marte, and Williams are locks. I like Caminero and Greene that late, but neither is a sure thing to do anything great. I like Ragans, but that feels a little high given my other options.

Bobby Witt, Jr. will probably be the first pick. I guess Judge could be cut since he would cost his owner a first-round pick, but I think he'll be kept.

Thoughts?

You can keep the five that you're thinking of, and with all those picks, hope that you can snag Ragans again.

Or you can keep Ragans and one of the late rounders, then hopefully get a top-notch starter with your early picks and have that guy and Ragans be your 1-2 starters.

Try flipping several coins.

 

[outofplace]

Why is Ragans the most expensive player on that list, in terms of draft pick compensation? But aces are hard to find and I think you can find a Williams-esque closer in the draft. Plus, you know, he may combust in New York, though keeping the beard might help. #CrossThreading

I think both guys bring some risk. Ragans threw 90 more innings in 2024 than in 2023 and his velocity dropped later in the season.

Obviously, Ragans is the more valuable player, but he is not 15 rounds better than Williams. Not keeping him probably forces me to go pitcher early, but that's fine with the bats I"ll already have in place.

I may go with Baron's method and flip a coin many times. lol

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I can keep 10, no draft price:
My first gut was to just keep the first 9 names plus Cole and get pitching in the draft - so keepers are basically dynasty, but:

• You can only start a regular, 9-man lineup. So with zero trade market I've complained about this league here before) and Ohtani at DH, last year I kept Olsen & Harper and had to bench one of them every day.
• With De La Cruz only eligible at SS, then Cruz joins an OF with 4 guys ranked ahead of him, of which I can only play 3. Hard to keep Dominguez for the same reason.

I'm still leaning towards the first 8 + Cole and Williams, but I hate keeping a closer.
Thoughts?

Shohei Ohtani
Elly De La Cruz
Corbin Carroll
Bryce Harper
Matt Olson
Jackson Chourio
Michael Harris II
James Wood
Oneil Cruz
Brent Rooker
Matt McLain
Jordan Westburg
Francisco Alvarez
Jashon Domínguez
Austin Wells
Gerrit Cole
Devin Williams
Luis Castillo
Spencer Schwellenbach
Spencer Strider
Jared Jones
Luis Gil

 

[outofplace]

I can keep 10, no draft price:
My first gut was to just keep the first 9 names plus Cole and get pitching in the draft - so keepers are basically dynasty, but:

• You can only start a regular, 9-man lineup. So with zero trade market I've complained about this league here before) and Ohtani at DH, last year I kept Olsen & Harper and had to bench one of them every day.
• With De La Cruz only eligible at SS, then Cruz joins an OF with 4 guys ranked ahead of him, of which I can only play 3. Hard to keep Dominguez for the same reason.

I'm still leaning towards the first 8 + Cole and Williams, but I hate keeping a closer.
Thoughts?

Shohei Ohtani
Elly De La Cruz
Corbin Carroll
Bryce Harper
Matt Olson
Jackson Chourio
Michael Harris II
James Wood
Oneil Cruz
Brent Rooker
Matt McLain
Jordan Westburg
Francisco Alvarez
Jashon Domínguez
Austin Wells
Gerrit Cole
Devin Williams
Luis Castillo
Spencer Schwellenbach
Spencer Strider
Jared Jones
Luis Gil

I would keep eight plus Cole and Williams, but I'm not a big fan of Harris. Is Rooker OF-eligible in your league?

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I would keep eight plus Cole and Williams, but I'm not a big fan of Harris. Is Rooker OF-eligible in your league?

Yes

 

[outofplace]

Yes

Call me crazy, but I might keep Rooker over Harris. I get keeping Wood for his upside, but I think we've already seen the best of Harris.

 

[outofplace]

Why is Ragans the most expensive player on that list, in terms of draft pick compensation? But aces are hard to find and I think you can find a Williams-esque closer in the draft. Plus, you know, he may combust in New York, though keeping the beard might help. #CrossThreading

Ragans cost more because people didn't want to take the risk on Williams with his back injury. I expect him to go by the end of the third round if I don't keep him. I have to turn in that list tonight. I'm still thinking of the coin flip method. It is a saves league, not saves+holds, so people can't wait too long on closers. Then there is the benefit of having eight of the first 41 picks in the draft with the extra picks in the second, third, and fourth round and the top pick in the fifth.

Yeah, I'm going to end up flipping a coin. lol

 

[bigpern23]

Got offered a trade in my dynasty league and wanted to get some hive mind feedback. Guy offered me Taj Bradley for Manny Machado straight up. Both cost $3, so salary isn't an issue. I don't have a huge need for either player since my SP staff is pretty solid, and losing Manny would just mean sliding Guerrero to 3B from UTIL (Freeman is my 1B).

Haven't seen Bradley pitch, but it seems like he might have ace upside (especially moving to Tampa). Manny is a reliable 400-point scorer (which makes him a huge value at $3).

I'm leaning toward keeping Manny, but wanted to see if anyone disagrees and I should rethink Bradley.

 

[outofplace]

Got offered a trade in my dynasty league and wanted to get some hive mind feedback. Guy offered me Taj Bradley for Manny Machado straight up. Both cost $3, so salary isn't an issue. I don't have a huge need for either player since my SP staff is pretty solid, and losing Manny would just mean sliding Guerrero to 3B from UTIL (Freeman is my 1B).

Haven't seen Bradley pitch, but it seems like he might have ace upside (especially moving to Tampa). Manny is a reliable 400-point scorer (which makes him a huge value at $3).

I'm leaning toward keeping Manny, but wanted to see if anyone disagrees and I should rethink Bradley.

Bradley has great upside and reportedly added a new pitch this offseason, but he has been extremely inconsistent so far in his career. I just don't see how he is worth Machado. I would pash on the trade.

 

[outofplace]

Two drafts down with one to go. I had eight of the first 41 selections in my draft tonight due to trades. Now that was fun. I had a couple of reaches, but this ain't bad.


C Willson Contreras 9

1B Josh Naylor 3

3B Rafael Devers

2B Ketel Marte 18

SS Bobby Witt, Jr. 1

OF Julio Rodriguez 12

OF Riley Greene 20

OF Wyatt Langford 4

UT Matt Shaw 15

UT Junior Caminero 21

SP Zach Wheeler 2

SP Framber Valdez 2

RP Devin Williams 19

RP Ryan Helsley 4

P Aaron Nola 5

P Hunter Brown 6

P Robert Suarez 13

P Tanner Scott 11

Bench Rhys Hoskins 22

Bench Garrett Mitchell 23

Bench Heliot Ramos 17

Bench Jesus Luzardo 16

Bench Spencer Arrighetti 14