by JdEarly » Thu Sep 08, 2005 1:44 pm
I agree with LMBombers at first glance at your team, but what other parks are in your division? Lance Berkman is a very hot commodity, and I think that you would be able to get a very nice player or two in return for him. People drool over his .450 OBP, but he's weaker against lefties and would be batting right handed against them - Shea would make his weakness against lefties even worse.
Catching - Instead of Joe Mauer with his high price tag and high injury rating, I would go with a cheap platoon. Javier Valentin (8R) and Yorvit Torrealba (5L with power) might make a little bit more sense in your park, if they are available. That would save you a few million dollars.
First Base - Brad Wilkerson is a very good defensive first baseman and he gets on base like crazy. He will do very well for you in Shea, especially if you bat him lead off in front of Bobby Abreu. But I think he would be better suited as you left or even centerfielder, right if Abreu ends up being your DH. A -3 arm is just a waste at first base, especially since the guy is a 2e7 in the outfield. And I see you have Adam Dunn... maybe you were thinking of putting him at first base (3e10)?
Second Base - Ronnie Belliard might be a really good fit for you here. He hits lefties better, plays good defense, and won't be penalized based on power by Shea, because he doesn't hit a lot of homers anyway. His doubles will help you move runners around the bases.
Third Base - I hope you're not planning on starting Ryan Freel or Russell Branyan at third. Neither of them is all that great with the glove, and Branyan is going to be hurt big time by Shea. With your roster in its current state, I think Freel would benefit you most in left field.
Short Stop - Christian Guzman hits lefties better than righties, but even that is deceiving. He doesn't hit anyone particularly well, and I think he's overrated. Purely for defense, he's a good fit. If you expect any sort of offense, you will be disappointed.
Leftfield - Right now you have Lance Berkman probably out in left field. I love his card, but not in Shea. He'll kill right handers when they come to visit, and if you have a Wrigley team or two in your division I would recommend keeping him. Otherwise, I would try to find someone with a neutral park who needs an offensive upgrade, and try to get a better shortstop and/or some pitching.
Centerfield - Vernon Wells would be a solid fit, since he would add a right handed bat with pop to an otherwise lefty heavy lineup. Add that to a gold glove in centerfield, and you've got yourself a strong defensive team up the middle.
Rightfield - Abreu looks like the best option out there with his arm, but you could always DH him and stick Wilkerson in right.
Pitching - Your pitching scares me. Mad Dog and Escobar should be solid in your starting rotation, but Freddy Garcia will probably get lit up like a Christmas tree. Any chance you could pick up Doug Davis, or, preferably, Glendon Rusch? They've both done well for me. I also don't really think you want Keith Foulke closing for you, or any right hander for that matter. I would look into either Billy Wagner (lights out) or B.J. Ryan (just a notch below). Wagner's card is so good that, despite his R1 rating, you could make him set up and close from both sides - even when he's tired, he's still better than most of the other relievers you'll find.
I hope this helps. Good luck.