MM team

[DAVIDLEE 2]

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/team/team_other.html?user_id=5985
this is my team after waivers. Any way to salvage this one

[MARCPELLETIER]

I think it's a strong team. I like Soriano as a DH in MM. Carpenter is your ace if he can avoid lefty-loaded line-ups. I am not sure if you have enough relief though. I like this 2-reliever strategy (filled up with cheap relief) in Petco-like stadium, and/or with outstanding starting pitching. But MM can see some fireballs, and the starting rotation is strong, but not outstanding. That said, by setting your pitchers to slow hook, perhaps you'll have sufficient decent relief: I'm just not sure.

I wouldn't go with 4 left-handed/switch starters in your line-up. I would go with at most 3, perhaps even less if your divisional opponents don't adjust to your team. One obvious position you could improve is catching. I find that there are many cheap right-handed catchers suited for MM. Barajas and Fasano come to mind. If you want to stick with a left-handed catcher to go along with Molina, then I would suggest that you go with Doumit, Bako or Rose, and that you opt for a 3-catchers strategy. You have too many useless bench players anyway, so opting a 3-catchers strategy might be well suited for your team. Abernathy and Izturis are useless in the sense that 1-Tejada can't be injured; 2- Figgins can make an excellent second base replacement. Thus, all you need is a 3rd base replacement player that could be dh as well. Figgins can also be an excellent outfielder replacement, so you cover yourself well enough by having Chavez on the bench in addition to Figgins who can move there. Hence, no need of Marrero. Chavez, a 3rd baseman replacement, perhaps a potential pinch-hitter, and 2 back-up catchers will help you much more than what you have now.

[markp65]

What salvage? David, that's a solid MM team. Very good D, good enough pitching, very nice balance... I'm seeing only two issues:

1. A little more RH pop vs RHP would be welcome in your park. Soriano, Guillen and Sexton are your longball guys vs RHP (Giles and Tejada much less so). Could you squeeze another RH banger vs RHP, maybe at 3B instead of Figgins? It would really help for you to take better advantage of your park -- and not hurt vs those two US Hell teams in your division.
2. Some minor issues with your SP... Davis is excellent but do you really want to use a LH starter?... Maddux poor fit for your park (or US Cell), Webb, Byrd, Arroyo, Radke all better fits... With Maddux/Contreras/Navarro, you're going to give up some SB.

But overall that's a competitive-looking team. Go get em!

[MARCPELLETIER]

I was about to write the same about Davis. Agree with the lack of an additional right-handed power hitter as well.

[markp65]

Lucky is money in the bank as usual. Disagree about Marrero. You can't get better SLG for cheaper vs LHP in your park!

[MARCPELLETIER]

markp65,

don't confuse BP and slugging. Marrero does have 8 BP vs lhp, but he has no single--not even ballpark singles, he has few double or triples. If I look at total base (closest thing to slugging in stats provided by Strat), Marrero has 38 TB, 34 of which come from homeruns. If we add the ballpark adjustment, that makes him close to 66 (I substract the total base lost for not having ballpark singles). This is one of the highest among sub 1M, but not the highest (among 0.50$ player, Quinlan has highest total base for MM). Further, there are a bunch of players who come close to Marrero's TB number AND have better on-base, better defense and/or better card vs rhp.

[markp65]

marrero VS. LEFTY .293 .584 .247
quinlan VS. LEFTY .318 .542 .289

This is fun. Marcus, you have to help me on this. I see where Quinlan is clearly superior in terms of his injury potential and defensive ability, but (all things being roughly equal) wouldn't you prefer a guy in a HR park with a greater portion of his slugging pct to come from the almighty homerun?

[MARCPELLETIER]

I only checked total base, as I said. In terms of total bases, Quinlan has 44.5, and you can add 2.5 for his singles and 21 total bases for his BP homeruns, for a total of 68 TB. Marrero has 38.3 of which you add 24 TB for his homeruns, for a total of 62.3 TB. So it's a pretty good advantage for Quinlan (I only report Strat numbers, without checking them). On-base wise, Marrero has 17.4, of which you can add the 6 on-base from his BP homeruns in MM. Quinlan has 24.4 on-base, plus BP homeruns, plus BP singles. So clear edge to QUinlan there as well.

Why is that not translated in the numbers you provided, I'm not sure.

To answer your question, if I could coach my team by myself, I would get on my bench a "homerun hitter" and a "single/double hitter", and I would use either of them in the right situation. But Hal is my coach, and I don't think Hal understands this logic. Therefore, as a GM, I don't necessary prefer a guy with greater portion of his slugging pct coming from HRs, because there are times where the single or double is just as important, so I just want to provide to Hal's bench with the best hitter available for the lower price.

Also, I don't want to lose a game because of Hal's inability to make the appropriate call, so I am highly concerned to have a player like Marrero who has so many ways to lose a game (with his glove or by being used as a pinch-hit vs rhp).

Of course, this is only one point of view. The day I'll have Marrero hit a walk-off homerun, I'll think otherwise for sure!!!

[DAVIDLEE 2]

changed maddux for radke.
would lieber or lowe be better than davis?

[DAVIDLEE 2]

with the catchers, should i get fasano along with 1 of the other catchers mentioned?