Ozzie or Barry in the Astrodome-Post-waiver update...

[Outta Leftfield]

Hi, all,
I've got my very first Astrodome team and have Ozzie Smith as my SS (was trying for Trammell--I like a good-fielding SS who can HIT!). Pre-waivers, I've just gotten an offer of a straight up trade of Ozzie for Barry Larkin. It's a tough call. Larkin is the better hitter, but Ozzie is obviously the better fielder and is cheaper. Who would you go for? A side factor is that my lineup is very lefty-dominated, so a player who's strong vs LHP wouldn't be amiss, which might give a small edge to Larkin. The one time I had Larkin before I had his best season, so that does give me a favorable read on him, and my most recent Ozzie year he was OK but not outstanding with the bat (about .700 OPS). So that gives Larkin a certain appeal.

The flip side seems to be that the rest of the lineup has plenty of pop and maybe in the Astrodome I should go with the best defensive SS available, who would have to be Ozzie.

Here's the whole team so you can see the context:
http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/team/team_other.html?user_id=76284
Post waivers, King, Young, Scurry and (probably) Kennedy are history, but I had a good draft and all the rest, I think, are keepers.

Thanks, OL

[Jablowmi]

Wow, serious looking team. I can't think of any team where I'd take Larkin over Oz, particularly this one. Better D, less $, etc. On this team, with Brett, Will Clark, Puckett, Kal, Greenwell and Singleton, I think it is Oz in a landslide.

Glad I'm not battling you for a playoff spot in this league.........

[bjs73]

I'd keep Ozzie with the team you've got. Your offense is good enough and you may need the cash differential to offset any pitching issues in mid-season. Cash management is king.

[Hakmusic]

I'd take Ozzie over any SS not named Yount in any park.

You've got a nice looking team there. I think, as you noted, I'd change some of your pitching and your catcher, but I'm sure there will be time to do that. I also love Greenwell and I love Daniels, but I'd take them on an either or basis. With Brett, Singleton, Daniels and Greenwell you would kill RHP, but you may have a problem with LHP. I know he is not popular, but with your righty killer, Bradley might work on your team, even in a platoon and D replacement for Greenwell.

Also, I'd recommend picking up B Ripkin for a partner for Remy, unless you already had a plan there.

[Outta Leftfield]

I'm glad the team looks good--like I said, I had a really good draft.

And, just by writing out the arguments on both sides, as I did above, I've been coming around to the same view you guys have just expressed. On this team I should get plenty of hitting from others and Ozzie will give me that great defense at lower cost than Barry. I don't usually use a premium bullpen ace, but I'm thinking of doing that here (there are some top-drawer FA's) to help with the late close games in Astro. Ozzie's cheaper price tag will make that easier to afford.

By the way, I've never had Brett before, but I am excited by the possibilites if I can avoid the bad year.

As to the park: couple of friends and I have a private challenge going. Each of us gets stuck by one of the others with a park they've never used (and--based on past choices-- probably wouldn't like). Then we enter an auto-league in separate divisions and play these new parks. So I got stuck with the Astrodome, which I've avoided like the plague so far. I have had some luck with Royals, though, and figured I would draft the Astrodome team pretty much like a Royals team. It's 10-2 HR/singles instead of 16-2, but I thought that might make Astro like Royals, only a little less so: same restraint on HR and similar emphasis on OBP. How does that reasoning sound to Astro vets?

[quote:a99b3aa494]Also, I'd recommend picking up B Ripkin for a partner for Remy, unless you already had a plan there.[/quote:a99b3aa494]
I was planning to use Buechele at 2B vs LHP.

[Outta Leftfield]

Just got a new trade offer:
Ripken and Carew for Ozzie and Will Clark. A tough call, again. There may be more net offense in most years from Ripken and Carew than from Ozzie and Clark. That is, Clark is the best offensive player of the four, but Cal + Carew is probably greater than Ozzie + the Thrill offensively, most of the time. However, I do take a defensive hit and the new combo costs about a million more. A further point, though, is that offense is relatively easy to get at 1B and hard to get at SS, so one argument is to run with Cal while I can. I've seen both Will Clark and Cal take over a league. Carew can be great, too, in the right year. His bad year is pretty bad, but that's easy to replace.

Anyway, decisions, decisions.... any thoughts? I'm leaning toward accepting but am really not sure.

[bjs73]

I'd accept that one based on the same logic that you expressed. That's a good offer. I love Ripken. He'll also help offset your team against LH pitching - and he can do it in his worst years as well. Ripken's worst season is still better than most of Ozzie's seasons - even the ozzie season where he hit .295 (the last one on his card.)

You also don't need a SS backup so it's like getting .75 for free.

And if you get one of Carew's good years - watch out! Awesome.

[Outta Leftfield]

I went for the Ripken/Carew for Ozzie/W Clark trade. Again, bjs pushed me in the direction I was already headed. I've just had to dump Carew twice in a row after getting his off year, but he is easy to replace. And the one time I got a good year (not the best, the .834 OPS) he was truly awesome.

We'll see how it plays!

[Hakmusic]

I love Bueschelle as a backup or in a cheap platoon at 3B, but not as much in a platoon at 2B because of the 3 range (though his errors are great). That's why I usually go Ripkin instead. I have remy, ripkin, and buschelle on pretty much every draft card I submit.

I'd have stayed with Oz/Will personally because I think Cal tends to disappoint in a big park because of his negative clutch and his ballpark HR's. That's why I prefer Ozzie, with $$, D, and OBP on his side over Cal. When he is good though, Cal can be very good. I love Carew. IU tend to go for Carew over Will because of $$ and easier to get, and I have had lots of big years from him, but Will is very good as well.

[Outta Leftfield]

Assuming I'm going to dump my bad SPs and get replacements who cost about the same, and assuming I get a quality closer off the FA table, the one remaining question on this team would seem to be catcher. With the extra $$ I spent on Ripken/Carew, I'm now priced out of the long-shot chance to draft Carter. But with the tenth pick, getting Carter was really a pipe-dream. Scioscia is my usual catcher in big parks, but he's taken. I'm not too keen on Kennedy, the guy I've got now. I do have B Martinez, who can usually hit lefties. So who would you take out of this lineup of semi-plausible FAs:
Porter, Boone, Gedman, Wynegar, LaValliere, Simmons

Porter would seem to be the logical choice, but he never seems to perform. Why not, I wonder? I would tend to say no to Simmons because of the arm. Wynegar doesn't give me much platoon value compared to Martinez. I can see an argument for LaValliere--maybe the best choice of an iffy lot-- but would it make any sense to give Boone a try? He has two very good and one playable season (assuming he platoons with Martinez in the two 4R years). He gives me a great arm in Astro. He doesn't cost much. And if he's bad I can throw him back, and by then maybe somebody else has prematurely tossed a catcher I can use. I know Boone's not very popular, but under the circumstances, how does that logic look to you? The two things in favor of keeping Kennedy would seem to be durability and the fact that if I get one of his two good years I'll be happy--but a lot of his value seems to be BPHR...

And Hak, Billy R is gone, but I'll keep an eye out. Cruz would also be tempting, but he's gone too.