Help with a US Cell team please...

[michael_kofsky]

This is my first US Cell team of the year and I could use some help with waivers. I went for German 1st in the draft for my leadoff and did not get him - hence I have both Rolen and Chavez. As such, I do not really have a leadoff batter. All suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2007/team/team_other.html?user_id=11177

[teamnasty]

This team needs a lot of work, luckily you got 9mil to spare. You need to cut Billingsley, Moyer, and Pettite. They are all horrid. In their place choose two nonstar pitchers to complement Sanchez, Cruz, Gorz, all of whom are good fits for you park. The third spot needs to be a reliever you only have 4 others. Finally spend some excess money on an 11th pitcher, yet another reliever because youre going to need a deep pen in that hitter's park. Offensively, Duffy is redundant because of Hunter, and Ozuna is redundant because of Kielty, and Chavez is redundant because of Rolen. Cut them all and focus on getting a stick to play DH which you lack and fill the other two spots with very cheap benchwarmers. I love McCann, Rolen, and even the cheap Matsui, Gross/Sheff platoon. There are better buys than Morneau and Uribe, diamonds be damned, is a brutal on base sinkhole. Spend every last time of what you have leftover, 11 pitchers, 13-14 hitters, cheap bench and grip it. Sherrill and Geary should be improved as a last resort if money is leftover; if not, severely limit their usage to their right sides. Good luck.

[teamnasty]

I meant to say spend every last dime (not "time"), and that Geary and Sherrill should be limited to their better sides, in Sherrill's case lefties. I'd worry less about finding a German clone than I would correcting your pitching staff and a muscular DH.

[geekor]

Well I agree and disagree with what he said.

Firstmost, Morneau is a stud, no where near a dud. I've had him hit over 55 hr's multiple times, without being in a place as the Cell.

you pen is good, assuming you got someone to close, the rest is pretty done.

Uribe makes a decent cheap SS to bat 8th and blast 25+ hr's.

Bad, HAL doesn't run platoon's well, or more accurately he runs them pathetically. I wouldn't run more than 1 platoon unkess you HAVE to, and right now you don't.

On offense, I'd look for a 2b, DH and a LF or RF, perhaps a better 3b.

Pitching, a closer, and codense you 7 SP's to a solid 5. Clemens is out there and a great buy, after that you're shopping in the bargain isle. Streer has no BP Hr's and is cheap and makes on ok closer.

Carrol is great def at 2b, can lead off vs L, though not great vs R.

no hits or HR's, but you could use a Smith/Tucker platoon at DH, give you 50 OB on each side (almost all walks though) for leadoff.

Berkman for OF, Ortiz at Dh, Cabrera at 3b are some great big names that are left. Mauer could be a very expensive leadoff, as well as Jeter, and probably too expensive for you. Diaz is a good leadoff vs R, though a W, has great TB's.

[STEVEPONEDAL]

In the Cell I had good luck with a LF platoon of Thames/C Ross. Ross is less than 1 mill. Ortiz also hit a gazillion HRs for me. Also I have been using Iguchi at 2B lately and have gotten good results in all types of parks. I wasn't impressed with either German or Carroll. Theriot makes a good lead-off batter at DH in front of your heavy wood guys.

sponedal

[michael_kofsky]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I am pouring over the FA list now.

Quick question Geekor - a better 3b then Rolen?

[teamnasty]

My point was that, for the money, Morneau is not a great value, not that he's not a good player. He's middle of the pack among 1st basemen yet costs what Halladay costs, and he's about the best starter in the set. Home runs or not, Uribe flat out sucks. Just putrid on base that is going to kill you. Be warned.

[Rant]

[quote:4e073c3a75="Dalinoth"]Thanks for the suggestions guys. I am pouring over the FA list now.

Quick question Geekor - a better 3b then Rolen?[/quote:4e073c3a75]

Depends what you're looking for, but yes.

Rolen has better fielding and can produce against the right. He's weak against lefties and I've seen him underperform on the whole. Cabrera is a flat out stud. Excellent OB and TB from both sides of the plate. For your park you want to skew toward the bat versus the glove. Statistically the two are a wash against righties (Miggy has better hits and OB, slightly worse TB). As such Rolen's the better pick against righties. Cabrera is far and away better vs. lefties. If you consider you'll see 2-3x as many righties than lefties Rolen could make the case to be more valuable, but in your park I don't think it'll play out that way.

As you make your changes try to drop any backup (who won't play much anyway) over $1M and spend the money on your starters.

[Rant]

[quote:07455b3e85="teamnasty"]My point was that, for the money, Morneau is not a great value, not that he's not a good player. He's middle of the pack among 1st basemen yet costs what Halladay costs, and he's about the best starter in the set. Home runs or not, Uribe flat out sucks. Just putrid on base that is going to kill you. Be warned.[/quote:07455b3e85]

In the Cell Morneau has the second most tb's vs. right (2nd OPS and 3rd in hits) and sixth tb's against left (6th OPS; 2nd hits). His 3e9 is no liability. I'm not sure how he could be consider middle of the pack. His salary is ninth highest. Seems like he is a value, if not a great value.

[MICHAELTARBELL]

IMHO, in an 80 mill league Uribe is my first choice in Cell. As stated, plays very solid D, and will hit 25+ HRs all for 1.39Mill!! Leaving you lots of $$ to load up on some BIG STICKS!! :wink:

I am assuming you are pre-waivers. Some GREAT hitters on the FA...Ortiz would sure be sweet at DH. Not sure what you are doing with Chavez, but would drop him for a 2B, perhaps for Iguchi, who I have used with success here.

Love Hunter here, best CF for the $$ in Cell. McCann, Morneau, Rolen, Uribe, Hunter is very solid. Add Ortiz at DH, Iguchi at 2B, perhaps Ward/Salmon platoon in LF and Gross/Sheff in RF looks pretty sweet to me. I would lose Ozuna, Kielty and Duffy if it were me. Duffy in particular is not needed here.

Good luck! :wink: