Should you go for the expensive players?

[ANDYCOCHRANE]

When drafting and during waivers, how many of you try to get one of the expensive $9 m + players? So far, the most expensive player I have had is ARod 8.5m. I tried to get Drew once but was unsuccessful. Is it worth getting the big guys, (Unit, Bonds, Pujols, Rolen, Beltran, Edmonds and so on), considering the amount of salary cap used? Doesn't this mean you are missing out elsewhere?

So, which is best, 9 players at $5m each or 2 9-10m and some 2-3m players? I was once advised not to go for Rolen and Reese (expensive and cheap), and told to stick with Wright and Carroll (both in mid range).

[LMBombers]

Bonds and RJ are worth every penny. Some of the other high priced players like Rolen and Edmonds are 15 game max injury guys. They rock when healthy but sometimes can go down to injury at the wrong time for your team (is there ever a right time?). I personally don't think Beltran is worth his salary at all. Some of the others can be worth the money in the right ballpark. Some of it depends on what ballpark you are playing in.

You mentioned David Wright and Carroll. Wright is a 15 game injury guy and only hits RHP. Carroll is a 3 defensively at a critical position and only hits RHP. Almost every player has plus' and minus'. You just have to figure out what players you can get the most out of for the ballpark you select. You can't worry about other ballparks in your division or league when putting together an autodraft card because you have no idea what they might be and half your games will be in your ballpark. It is important to have players that fit your ballpark better than your opponent's players do so draft accordingly.

[Jerlins]

If you're confident in your abilities to identify lower priced players that are useful, and to field a playoff contending team, no one is more valuable than Johnson for the short playoff series.

[Woody5]

Agreed on Johnson. There is no one that can take over a postseason like he can.

[u:f21e8cba37]Good and would get-[/u:f21e8cba37]
Bonds
RJ


[u:f21e8cba37]Have seen good seasons as well as bad-[/u:f21e8cba37]
Santana
Rolen
Edmonds
Drew

[u:f21e8cba37]Would not touch again-[/u:f21e8cba37]
Beltran
Helton (good but way overpriced)
Pujols (Never in 80 mil, maybe in 100 or 200 mil)

[1crazycanuk]

Beltran for me right now has a woeful OBP but has some home runs, 9 stolen bases I believe and has an arm. To go on OBP alone he's not worth the money but come on...he's one of the guys you want at CF.

I agree on Helton though...very good but way too expensive. Plus I had him in Petco so that cut his homeruns a bit eh? One fairly expensive guy I would take again is Berkman. He wasn't injured a lot and put up great numbers for me IN Petco.

[kaviksdad]

I think most everyone has been burned at one time or another by one of the really expensive guys. But of them all, I tend to agree that Bonds and RJ are the best of the lot. I would also add Santana strictly on the premise that his extra start in a 5 game playoff series can be a difference maker.

[FoggyOne]

Give me Kotsay and the $$$$. Heck, give me Corey Patterson and the money over Beltran. Perhaps in a 100M league when you can overspend 3-4M to get an addittional 1M of performance....I would consider Beltran.

Or Milton Bradley in a Pitcher's park, or a Bocachica/E. Chavez platoon or....................................

[1crazycanuk]

Hey I would take Kotsay as well. I had him on one team but someone else has him in the league I'm in now. I could drop Beltran for a platoon of a couple of guys but I don't think I'm going to do it.

[JdEarly]

As always, it depends on the park you're going to be using. You could get by with a team full of mid-range guys if you were basically a Strato GOD, but I feel that every team needs the right high priced players for their situation. Remember, most guys are priced high for a reason. So far, I haven't used Randy Johnson, but Johan Santana has been worth every penny. So has Jason Schmidt. Barry Bonds really changes the game when he's in there. I used Pujols in Shea, where the park worked against him but he mashed anyway because of all the lefties he was facing.

I think that you should go for at least one stud to build around, and then from there just be smart with the way your'e spending your money. But hey, what do I know?

[cristano11]

and when he says "strato god" he is referring to me...