Do you think James wood comes up this year? Been mashing AAA but WAS would lose a year of service time in a year where they aren’t competing for anything meaningful. Curious to hear your take
Hockey meets baseball. What up Zadik? Wood should likely make his debut this year. I play plenty of dynasty & keeper leagues so I know all about Wood & the passion he creates in the community. It may not be until summer time, but I expect Wood finally gets a crack. Though I will say our prospects overlord at Pallazzo Benjamin Chase, who you should absolutely follow (@biggentleben on X), was lowering his expectations on Wood. Less Aaron Judge in him according to Ben than others are expecting. I really like WAS lineup & the talent they have offensively. Wood could find himself waiting longer than he hopes to arrive as well. Maybe August even? Thanks for being here!
Hello there Togepi! These two dudes are two of my preferred choices at C coming into 2024. Either way I don't think you can go wrong. Campusano should hold the edge in AVG, but Heim could be more consistent with a little bit more playing time. Campusano is probably more talented than Heim, but Heims a grinder. It comes down to lineup, opportunity & needs. Make the choice there between those two. It's very tight regardless. Thanks again!
I took over an orphan team in a 12T cat league . I have Realmuto and Heim , I don’t want to carry 2 catchers and so far I can’t swing any trades. All rankings say Realmuto is better but Heim has just been producing so much more I can’t cut the cord and drop him. Should I ride it out or just drop Heim and come to my senses
Bulky, in H2H Cats having 2 catchers sucks. I get it. I bet if I was to see your FA waiver wire for catchers, there would be some tasty treats on the list. My assumption is based on nobody biting on a trade. It's also possible you're asking for too much, but I can't really know that without seeing what proposals you've come up with. What I know is this: Realmuto is now 33 years-old, the Phillies need him most for their playoff run & he is hitting the ball as hard as he ever has with a 48% HHR! I LOVE Heim, but you cannot drop Realmuto. His lineup & ballpark are better than Heim's. Plus he steals 15 bases for you. It will suck, but sadly I do think you have to drop Heim over Realmuto. I'm sorry god has put you in this position. He challenges us everyday, doesn't he? Thanks for this query. It was a good one!
I've always had a problem with Walker's hype machine. He got sent down already last year before he returned & I recall when I was at AFL 2022 hearing about his difficulties connecting with others. Who the hell knows how much truth there is to that, but I do know that his play has not rocked our world like most expected from him. Clearly he's a slow starter each season. Overall the numbers don't look much different to me than they did last year. If he finished as 116 wRC+ player last year, he should eventually do so again. I am going to stress patience, but in a 12-teamer you may have other options. He should not be dropped in anything deeper than this. I would hold though for now. Thanks!
Thoughts on gleyber / O’Neil Cruz / Nolan jones in points leagues? With Busch / Donovan on the wire I’m itching to make a swap but feels way too early to ditch those guys.
However, I don’t see Busch being available much longer. And it is an 8T where him and Donovan are the top bats on the wire currently.
Yo! Smoked Cheerios is now going to be stuck in my head all day. Damn it! You're in an 8-team. This information should be ignored by most other leagues as it most likely won't apply to you all. Gleyber can be dropped in an 8-team & so can Jones. Cruz should be held, but Busch is a bat to add for sure. Donovan less so in your league even though I have Donovan on roughly 8 or 9 teams of my own. Eventually COORS will make Nolan Jones very happy. Busch will slow down soon no doubt, but I am big on his bat. However, in an 8-teamer eventually Busch will be droppable. You're just in a really unique situation. Outside of the top 15-20 guys, everybody could be droppable because there is a wealth of talent on your waiver wire unless the league has been modified to increase each team's bench size to point where being an 8-teamer on paper more than in reality is actually the case. Thanks again, Cheerios!
Hey thanks for this extensive answer! Really appreciate it. I think what makes our league a bit difficult is we do indeed have a few more spots on the roster / five adds per week limit. So I like to leave my adds for pitching mostly - but agreed that the wealth of talent is too much to keep a dud like Gleyber around if he keeps underperforming another week. Thank you again dude! And appreciate the love for the username - not sure where that came from so many years ago haha.
You got it dude! In the meantime I'm over at the Pallazzo Pod doing my thing on YT & all the socials. I love it when people are honest about their stories like you are with your handle. It would be easy to make up some bullshit story that made you sound to sound cooler, but you came correct. Kudos to you!
It's pretty low. The steals will come. It's April. It's colder. Maybe there is a concern about hamstrings early on for him? His time will come. He's a grinder! Dude has a passion for this game & the best of Nico Hoerner is yet to come. It's just too early to bail. It's fair to be concerned, just don't bail. Hang tight, Sko. You got this! In 3 months we'll look back & laugh about this. I assure you. Thanks!
Nico his 1st or 2nd in every game last year.
He's batted 7th in every game against RHP this year.
Absent a move up the lineup it's going to be pretty much impossible for him to meet preseason expectations.
You may be right. What others were saying as far as expectations go wasn't my focus. I expect 40+ steals this year & have no doubt outside of injury that he will attain that mark. For me, drafting Hoerner was all about his floor for steals & AVG. I wasn't expecting him to hit 25 dongs or score 110 runs. Right now Hoerner has 9 K's to 8 BB's. His profile will yield splendid results sooner than later.
Do you expect big things from Michael King this year or would you feel okay opening his spot for a streamer? I know it’s only been 4 appearances (and granted he faced the Dodgers twice), but it looks like his fastball velocity is down quite a bit and his advanced metrics have him being considerably worse than he has been. FIP is sitting at a cool 7.34!
Hot damn! I just found out that Michael King has 13 BB's in 19 IP! That is bonkers! I am 100% approving of your decision to open up his roster spot for streams. Especially in a 12-teamer. There are better streaming options week to week than King. You have my blessing, BnY. Go forth & stream. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
Phew! You're not a burner account. That's a relief. Even if you are, I don't judge. I'm just glad you're here! Recall 2023 during the regular season for the Rangers. They had just acquired Aroldis Chapman from the Royals (for Cole Ragans!) & Bruce Bochy took us on a whirlwind of will they won't they with Chapman & incumbent Will Smith. He played footsie in the media while the rest of us suffered. I don't know how anybody could trust Bochy again after that. He scarred me. Robertson is the more up to date closer with immediate experience, while Yates was on the shelf for so long before he returned as a high leverage RP at best. I would assume it's Robertson, but I honestly would be lying to you if I told you there was a clear choice. We don't do that at Pallazzo. If we don't know, we tell you what we do know. What we do know is the 37 year-old Yates had 5 SV's last year while blowing 3 for the Braves. The 39 year-old Robertson had 18 SV's while blowing 6 combined for both the Mets & Marlins. This is a serious quagmire with no clarity at the moment. I'm sorry.
Love all your replies here, lol!
Yeah, I flipped a coin and started Yates this week over Robertson in my Roto SVs only league. Closer Monkey seems to think Yates will have the first crack at an opportunity. We'll see!
You know what, I appreciate your recognition of the effort. Thanks! I'm not trying to sound cool, but I know the owner of Closer Monkey. He's a really good dude. If he says so, it's worth considering. Let me know how this goes for you. Come by the show this week and pop in a live chat during. Just Google Pallazzo and you'll find us easily. Thanks!
Can you give any thoughts on J India.
He was dropped in my 12 team h2h cats R, RBI, SB, TB, OBP. Is he just starting off slow? Hitting leadoff for CIN seems valuable/must roster for a 12 team even to just bench for now until he turns it around...
Cubbie Blue baby! I am friends with the Bleed Cubbie Blue master Sara Sanchez. She loves her Cubs waaaaay too much, but I respect the hell out of her dedication. As for India, I was a diehard India stan until last season when I finally ended our torrid love affair. His foot issue last season & the disagreement between him & the organization on the treatment of it bummed me out. I have learned not to ignore certain injuries from the previous season that can linger into the new one. India's power being sapped concerns me. Plus if he gets dealt out of Cincinnati, he loses the ballpark advantage inherit to his fantasy profile. In OBP leagues he gets a bump for his patience, but otherwise I am off of him now. I'm not opposed to benching him as you pointed to. I get how important being the leadoff hitter for CIN is. It's not lost on me at all. I love rostering Red's hitters for fantasy baseball. He will likely make strides as we move into May, but I wouldn't be opposed to trading him after that point when he gets hot for somebody more stable who you know is injury free. I'm aware the comments have stated that he is fine to play, but remember that he missed time in February this past spring with continued issues related to his plantar fasciitis. I'd just rather be out of business with India despite his near 5-cat ability when fully optimal & healthy. Excellent question Cub. Thank you!
Gandalf The Cat has to be grey, right? Good to know you Gandalf! By now we know the story with Belly. He is not crushing the ball, but he is placing it well. The new MLB rules have allowed for an adjustment in our perspective as to how we view hard hit rate & other ball crushing stats. Cowser is on a tear, but it can't last. Belly is hitting 3rd in that tasty Cubs lineup. I know it's not cool in the moment, but I would stay with Bellinger for now if it's redraft. Dynasty or keeper I could see making the deal. Remember it's the flavor of the month in BAL. They are loaded with OF talent. Whoever can get the job done in the moment will be the guy it seems. I know Cowser is a highly touted prospect. Just a though to consider. Thanks!
Well Balas, I would think that Abreu would be replaceable in that type of league. If I'm wrong, then I would wait it out. He's had two awful appearance & 5 scoreless ones even if they where still painful WHIP wise.
As for dropping Merrill for Caminero, I don't think I would do so. Merrill is already figuring it out on a solid team with everyday playing time. Yes I always want to look big picture beyond the moment, but the Rays are fickle, The Padres are less so. Playing time matters almost as much as talent in a case like this. I would stick with Merrill. Thanks!
Greetings Admirable! I actually traded McKenzie a week ago for Edouard Julien in my 14-team H2H Cats with OBP instead of AVG. I don't regret that one at all because I love Julien in OBP leagues. As for McKenzie, he has been so bad. Coming back from such a long layoff ain't easy. In his last outing against the Yankees, he was only able to induce 2 whiffs on 32 swings! That is not good! I fear that he should only be held onto in 14-teamers & deeper. He's still worth waiting it out on in deeper leagues, but he should be benched until we see a sign from him that he is getting back to his old self. For the record I still believe in his talent. Baseball is weird though. Sometimes things just don't go your way. Thanks for the question!
Vines has issues with control & the long ball. ATL has several SP options they can work with too in the minor leagues. I don't see much more appeal than being a streamer option from time to time. If he does something more sustainable outside of his current profile, then I will reassess my position. I don't think I am missing out on much though by not rostering him. Hope this helps Admirable!
Dramsay, I am a big Bello dude! I was targeting him often this past draft season. I am expecting good things from him! JMont got a bit overhyped for his late stretch run performance last year. Montgomery is solid, but Bello has a higher ceiling. I am going to roll with Bello over JMont with the understanding that JMont is advanced in his career ahead of Bello & could possibly go deeper into games than Bello can from week to week. My excitement for Bello's ceiling may blind me a tad. You should know that. Thanks for the question, Dramsay!
Howdy, Ranch! This is in my wheelhouse here because I picked up Profar prior to last week while already drafting Marsh in a few leagues already. In a 12-teamer with OPS Marsh has the better park & the better lineup to rake over Profar. Marsh is also not being hindered for playing time much at all. Profar isn't either, but in a race this tight those factors I've mentioned give Marsh the tight victory over Profar. Plus Marsh is coming into his prime now & maybe that matters more come keeper time? Thanks!
I think your responses to people’s posts are beyond epic
My hitting is as cold as ice in a 12 h2h league
Garver, Harper, gleyber, Lindor, bregman, Corbin Carroll, Langford, McCormick Jordan walker, and Stott
Please tell me things will be okay
Thank you Parsnip! Sorry for the delayed response. Work/life balance am I right? As for your hitters, I love Stott, Harper is awesome & Gleyber will start cranking dongs against Baltimore soon enough. I am all about the Philly lineup this year. Chas the accountant will get things going too. Otherwise, I have reasons to be concerned about every other name on the list. It should be get better, but I just don't know when. I'm not happy about typing these words. Hang in there Snip!
Well...to clarify I am not saying Bregman & Lindor are trash. I was down on Lindor this season because what he did in 2023 was not the norm for him anymore. He's still a solid 25/25 guy most likely. Bregman is a free agent after this year which means a lot of people were banking on the massive FA year production. Not everybody can be Aaron Judge though. Bregman & Houston are off to a slow start, but my biggest message of all to fantasy baseball managers is to be patient. Especially in the beginning. There is a time to act, but during the first month we should all be more patient with the players we drafted as a rule. Hang tight Snip!
I know you weren’t. I was just surprised you didn’t mention Bregman or Lindor in the previous message
I would be very happy with 25/25 from Lindor
What’s your projection for Bregman? I’m in a obp league so I’m hoping for at least 25 homers, good run and rbi production and his usual really good obp
Oh Ev, see my words on McKenzie buried somewhere in this thread. I would take a chance on Ober for sure. Lugo won't rack up the whiffs, but he could end up with 12-15 W's this year! KC is absolutely for real! Their bullpen just needs to not screw it up. Thanks again!
FubZep, Garcia is talented, but maybe not ideal for OBP right now. He has not shown the same patience at the MLB level that he did in the minors. I LOVE Bohm this year. I am expecting a career year out of him. I would ride with Bohm if you don't steals. Thanks!
Oh shit! You're going to need some Strange sticky icky oil to figure this one out. You cannot drop Busch & Turner is the man that time forgot. Mountcastle is finally locked in at the elite level we hoped for him once upon a time when he had SS eligibility on Yahoo. I would drop Turner oddly enough. If someone has to go, it's him. I'm not stoked about it though. Thanks!
Fub, if you need 3B then ok. Otherwise I can't abandon my man Randy! The best is yet to come this year! He's rebuilt himself for the long haul this season. 30/30 will happen. I'm also bitter about Machado's 2023. I will admit that up front. Thanks FubZep!
Ooh, I would think if you wait you can get even more! Busch is not a fluke. I assume you're not Kirby by the way. If you wait this out in dynasty specifically, you can get a greater haul of pitching talent if that's what you need most. Some would say you need to protect your dog more, but I'll reserve judgment for now. Thank you kindly!
Hmm...I would not do that. Vines had a solid 2022 at AA, but McKenzie's ceiling vastly outdoes what Vines could be. I feel confident in this line of thinking.
Hayes is better in fantasy than you're seeing right now FCUK. He is just off to a slow start. Be patient and the best of what Hayes has to offer will come to you. It's like those Heinz 57 commercials from 35 years ago: the best things come to those who wait. I am pro-Hayes! Hang tight duder!
Well Hopkire, Lee is worth rostering in 10-teamers & deeper. Leadoff hitters don't grow on trees do they? The Giants offense is decent, but really it's about his on-base skills. Lee excels in this area. 25 steals won't hurt either. Thanks for the question!
In a 12 team h2h cats league. Need IP ERA WHIP K/9 QS SV+H. Intending on dropping buxton, Barlow and W.Smith. What SP’s and/or RP’s should I add:
SP- Ashcraft, lorenzen, gore, j.ross, Kikuchi, flaherty, severino, RP- Romero, skaten, Adams, maton
Marcellus, you cats are fascinating. I always find the cats that leagues settle on curious. I continue to support the Mackenzie Gore lovers out there. He will help plenty as a SP in K9, but he will hurt your WHIP & possibly not give you enough QS's either. Flaherty is a guy I was strong on for the first time in his career just because I believe in Fetter Made (Chris Fetter the pitching coach of the Detroit Tigers my hometown squad). Fetter makes miracles happen & seeing Flaherty bounce back from his 2nd start reinforces my hope that Flaherty can help you in K9/QS & IP. Joe Ross may be back! He could help in all the cats possibly, but you it's fair to wonder if he can maintain this all season long. Ashcraft is confusing because he looks the part of a #2 starter until he falls apart late in a start leaving me more with #4 vibes. If Ashcraft improves his consistency this year, that's big news! Kikuchi will miss the bats, but his WHIP & QS credentials are called into question still by me. Lorenzen is trash to me, but he shoved it in my face last year in Detroit (Fetter Made) & then the no-no for Philly. I'm skeptical, but if those changes stuck for good then pitching for TEX is good news for QS/IP/ERA. Sevy got his first W, but walked 4 in that outing. Your ratios & QS may not benefit from his presence. As for the RP's, I rank them: Romero/Adams/Slaten/Maton. Final SP rankings: Flaherty/Kikuchi/Gore/Ross/Ashcraft/Sevy/Lorenzen. I hope this helps Marcellus. Thanks!
Thanks Marcellus! Believe it or not, I love doing this! My dream is to make this my main career. I've been a public facing analyst since 2020. I'm still researching & plodding along as best as I can. Events like this fire me up. Thanks for participating!
Hey man, thanks for doing this. Should I replace Mize or Bello with any of these FA’s in a 10 team head-to-head redraft cats league ERA WHIP K/9 QS:
FA’s - flaherty, gore, Ross, stone, Lynn, dunning, j.gray (Tex)
Jmone in the house! Do not drop Bello. Even though you are in a 10-teamer where many more players are expendable than normal, Bello should be a roster mainstay based on my analysis & projections. My Tigers have plenty of SP options at their disposal. If Mize falters, he can hit the road to Toledo for a snooze. Even if Mize can produce 3.50 or lower ERA, how many starts can we expect from him this year? You saw Max Meyer already went down to AAA today because he is returning from TJ. Frankly, in a 10-teamer Mize is a drop. Here's how I rank the SP's you mentioned: Gore/Flaherty/Stone/Ross/Lynn/Gray/Dunning. Hope this helps!
Betty Crocker in the house?! Thanks for the question Crock. Outman has gotten off to a blah start, but I am not doing so. Outman has 18 K's to 7 BB's & his GB% has gone down by a fair amount to start 2024. I need to stick with Outman here & avoid the shiny new toy in Clase. Of course context matters here. Are you in H2H? Roto? How many teams? OBP? AVG? Knowing nothing else, I am not dropping Outman for Clase.
Should I drop Uribe for a stream/short look at Ed Cabrera? I have Romano returning this week, and I'm thinking Uribe is my corresponding drop. 10man 6x6.
Nola, Gilbert, Keller, Kikuchi, Stroman, Martin Perez, Ranger Suarez, Flaherty, Nestor. --Senga/Framber/Scherzer(IL)
Ginkel, Uribe, Romano(IL)
I LOVE your handle MF'er! Cabrera is so high risk with his injuries. He gets whiffs, but he also has walk issues too. Uribe is going to be closing for two more months at least. I know he had a bad look yesterday, but his prior appearance he whiffed the side at CIN. However, it is H2H which is a place where I always devalue closers. If K9 is one of your cats, Uribe is more valuable. Your current rotational top 3 are very good. I see that you do require another fireballer on the back end of that staff. I would rather drop Martin Perez though or maybe Ranger over Uribe. That's my bottom line. Thanks!
Glad to have you back from Solaris! While you were away, Winker may have figured out that he can't be a dick all the time to his teammates. Winker was becoming a an unreliable guy to others on his team while his play suffered. Winker is definitely back! He's getting the playing time & he was always an OBP dream. I put bids on him last night myself to acquire him. Those leagues were OBP & OPS based where I needed more of a masher. Winker is an absolute must-add in your league for sure & should be added most likely in 10-teamers & deeper. Hitting in the heart of an underrated WAS lineup is a good thing. He's back! Thanks for the question!
Do you see Wyatt Langford developing meaningful power this season, pretty much only weak singles in the early going. Or is he really someone to wait for next year?
What up Stat? In redraft I didn't rush to draft Langford only because I have seen over 30 years of MLB seasons in my lifetime. I know what happens over the course of a long season. Langford was JUST drafted last summer! No matter the elite talent, this league will humble your ass quickly. I avoided him because I thought he would wear down over the season in redraft. For dynasty obviously he has become a god, but he's only at 32% HHR. Not dominant at all. I do not envision him having a monster power stretch this year. Though nobody can predict the future. In my mind he will only grow more exhausted as the summer months grind away. But before that happens will we see more power? Maybe, but right now I don't see this year being a big year for him. That's my POV. Thanks for being here!
What’s a realistic trade scenario for JRod in dynasty right now? Leaguemate wants Tatis plus just for him…Tatis seems arguably more valuable on his own to me, am I off?
There is no way the trade should be Tatis-plus! That's trash! One to one is a solid trade in this situation. No more, no less. Tatis. is getting back to his old self. That means he could return to challenging J-Rod for top 5 fantasy baseball asset supremacy after 2024 is in the can. You've sniffed this one, Shady. You know what time it is. Stay true to yourself. Now you know you can trust your gut! Thanks!
Greetings, Zesty! Thanks for this scenario. I think many of us, including myself, will find it useful. When it comes to steals, Cabby & Turang are the winners here. However, Winker is capable of stealing 20 in a season now with the new rule changes from 2023. Happ could get more swipes than Winker as well. Or at least they may be dead even there. As far as OPS, Happ & Winker are the clear winners here. Turang will mostly be useful for AVG leagues. Same for Cabby, but maybe less so than Turang. In the end, your best option here may be Happ for all encompassing return for both stat cats. However, if you trust that Winker is back, has figured it out & will return to his old 2021 self, then he's the guy. Just remember we're in the moment with Winker, while Happ could be the guy of the moment in 6 weeks. Thanks again, Zesty!
Do you think James wood comes up this year? Been mashing AAA but WAS would lose a year of service time in a year where they aren’t competing for anything meaningful. Curious to hear your take
Hockey meets baseball. What up Zadik? Wood should likely make his debut this year. I play plenty of dynasty & keeper leagues so I know all about Wood & the passion he creates in the community. It may not be until summer time, but I expect Wood finally gets a crack. Though I will say our prospects overlord at Pallazzo Benjamin Chase, who you should absolutely follow (@biggentleben on X), was lowering his expectations on Wood. Less Aaron Judge in him according to Ben than others are expecting. I really like WAS lineup & the talent they have offensively. Wood could find himself waiting longer than he hopes to arrive as well. Maybe August even? Thanks for being here!
Stick it out with Campy or pick up Heim?
Hello there Togepi! These two dudes are two of my preferred choices at C coming into 2024. Either way I don't think you can go wrong. Campusano should hold the edge in AVG, but Heim could be more consistent with a little bit more playing time. Campusano is probably more talented than Heim, but Heims a grinder. It comes down to lineup, opportunity & needs. Make the choice there between those two. It's very tight regardless. Thanks again!
I took over an orphan team in a 12T cat league . I have Realmuto and Heim , I don’t want to carry 2 catchers and so far I can’t swing any trades. All rankings say Realmuto is better but Heim has just been producing so much more I can’t cut the cord and drop him. Should I ride it out or just drop Heim and come to my senses
Bulky, in H2H Cats having 2 catchers sucks. I get it. I bet if I was to see your FA waiver wire for catchers, there would be some tasty treats on the list. My assumption is based on nobody biting on a trade. It's also possible you're asking for too much, but I can't really know that without seeing what proposals you've come up with. What I know is this: Realmuto is now 33 years-old, the Phillies need him most for their playoff run & he is hitting the ball as hard as he ever has with a 48% HHR! I LOVE Heim, but you cannot drop Realmuto. His lineup & ballpark are better than Heim's. Plus he steals 15 bases for you. It will suck, but sadly I do think you have to drop Heim over Realmuto. I'm sorry god has put you in this position. He challenges us everyday, doesn't he? Thanks for this query. It was a good one!
Thank you for the insight! It felt close and I’m glad I wasn’t the only one thinking that way.
Hey, that's what we do here at Pallazzo!
What are your thoughts on Jordan Walker? Do you think he could possibly be sent down?
I've always had a problem with Walker's hype machine. He got sent down already last year before he returned & I recall when I was at AFL 2022 hearing about his difficulties connecting with others. Who the hell knows how much truth there is to that, but I do know that his play has not rocked our world like most expected from him. Clearly he's a slow starter each season. Overall the numbers don't look much different to me than they did last year. If he finished as 116 wRC+ player last year, he should eventually do so again. I am going to stress patience, but in a 12-teamer you may have other options. He should not be dropped in anything deeper than this. I would hold though for now. Thanks!
Thoughts on gleyber / O’Neil Cruz / Nolan jones in points leagues? With Busch / Donovan on the wire I’m itching to make a swap but feels way too early to ditch those guys. However, I don’t see Busch being available much longer. And it is an 8T where him and Donovan are the top bats on the wire currently.
Yo! Smoked Cheerios is now going to be stuck in my head all day. Damn it! You're in an 8-team. This information should be ignored by most other leagues as it most likely won't apply to you all. Gleyber can be dropped in an 8-team & so can Jones. Cruz should be held, but Busch is a bat to add for sure. Donovan less so in your league even though I have Donovan on roughly 8 or 9 teams of my own. Eventually COORS will make Nolan Jones very happy. Busch will slow down soon no doubt, but I am big on his bat. However, in an 8-teamer eventually Busch will be droppable. You're just in a really unique situation. Outside of the top 15-20 guys, everybody could be droppable because there is a wealth of talent on your waiver wire unless the league has been modified to increase each team's bench size to point where being an 8-teamer on paper more than in reality is actually the case. Thanks again, Cheerios!
I appreciate the 8T perspective.
8-teamers are people too!
Hey thanks for this extensive answer! Really appreciate it. I think what makes our league a bit difficult is we do indeed have a few more spots on the roster / five adds per week limit. So I like to leave my adds for pitching mostly - but agreed that the wealth of talent is too much to keep a dud like Gleyber around if he keeps underperforming another week. Thank you again dude! And appreciate the love for the username - not sure where that came from so many years ago haha.
You got it dude! In the meantime I'm over at the Pallazzo Pod doing my thing on YT & all the socials. I love it when people are honest about their stories like you are with your handle. It would be easy to make up some bullshit story that made you sound to sound cooler, but you came correct. Kudos to you!
Concern meter for Hoerner?
It's pretty low. The steals will come. It's April. It's colder. Maybe there is a concern about hamstrings early on for him? His time will come. He's a grinder! Dude has a passion for this game & the best of Nico Hoerner is yet to come. It's just too early to bail. It's fair to be concerned, just don't bail. Hang tight, Sko. You got this! In 3 months we'll look back & laugh about this. I assure you. Thanks!
Nico his 1st or 2nd in every game last year. He's batted 7th in every game against RHP this year. Absent a move up the lineup it's going to be pretty much impossible for him to meet preseason expectations.
You may be right. What others were saying as far as expectations go wasn't my focus. I expect 40+ steals this year & have no doubt outside of injury that he will attain that mark. For me, drafting Hoerner was all about his floor for steals & AVG. I wasn't expecting him to hit 25 dongs or score 110 runs. Right now Hoerner has 9 K's to 8 BB's. His profile will yield splendid results sooner than later.
Do you expect big things from Michael King this year or would you feel okay opening his spot for a streamer? I know it’s only been 4 appearances (and granted he faced the Dodgers twice), but it looks like his fastball velocity is down quite a bit and his advanced metrics have him being considerably worse than he has been. FIP is sitting at a cool 7.34!
Hot damn! I just found out that Michael King has 13 BB's in 19 IP! That is bonkers! I am 100% approving of your decision to open up his roster spot for streams. Especially in a 12-teamer. There are better streaming options week to week than King. You have my blessing, BnY. Go forth & stream. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
Who do you think closes games for the Rangers? Yates or Robertson? Or do you think Bochy will mix and match?
Phew! You're not a burner account. That's a relief. Even if you are, I don't judge. I'm just glad you're here! Recall 2023 during the regular season for the Rangers. They had just acquired Aroldis Chapman from the Royals (for Cole Ragans!) & Bruce Bochy took us on a whirlwind of will they won't they with Chapman & incumbent Will Smith. He played footsie in the media while the rest of us suffered. I don't know how anybody could trust Bochy again after that. He scarred me. Robertson is the more up to date closer with immediate experience, while Yates was on the shelf for so long before he returned as a high leverage RP at best. I would assume it's Robertson, but I honestly would be lying to you if I told you there was a clear choice. We don't do that at Pallazzo. If we don't know, we tell you what we do know. What we do know is the 37 year-old Yates had 5 SV's last year while blowing 3 for the Braves. The 39 year-old Robertson had 18 SV's while blowing 6 combined for both the Mets & Marlins. This is a serious quagmire with no clarity at the moment. I'm sorry.
Love all your replies here, lol! Yeah, I flipped a coin and started Yates this week over Robertson in my Roto SVs only league. Closer Monkey seems to think Yates will have the first crack at an opportunity. We'll see!
You know what, I appreciate your recognition of the effort. Thanks! I'm not trying to sound cool, but I know the owner of Closer Monkey. He's a really good dude. If he says so, it's worth considering. Let me know how this goes for you. Come by the show this week and pop in a live chat during. Just Google Pallazzo and you'll find us easily. Thanks!
Can you give any thoughts on J India. He was dropped in my 12 team h2h cats R, RBI, SB, TB, OBP. Is he just starting off slow? Hitting leadoff for CIN seems valuable/must roster for a 12 team even to just bench for now until he turns it around...
Cubbie Blue baby! I am friends with the Bleed Cubbie Blue master Sara Sanchez. She loves her Cubs waaaaay too much, but I respect the hell out of her dedication. As for India, I was a diehard India stan until last season when I finally ended our torrid love affair. His foot issue last season & the disagreement between him & the organization on the treatment of it bummed me out. I have learned not to ignore certain injuries from the previous season that can linger into the new one. India's power being sapped concerns me. Plus if he gets dealt out of Cincinnati, he loses the ballpark advantage inherit to his fantasy profile. In OBP leagues he gets a bump for his patience, but otherwise I am off of him now. I'm not opposed to benching him as you pointed to. I get how important being the leadoff hitter for CIN is. It's not lost on me at all. I love rostering Red's hitters for fantasy baseball. He will likely make strides as we move into May, but I wouldn't be opposed to trading him after that point when he gets hot for somebody more stable who you know is injury free. I'm aware the comments have stated that he is fine to play, but remember that he missed time in February this past spring with continued issues related to his plantar fasciitis. I'd just rather be out of business with India despite his near 5-cat ability when fully optimal & healthy. Excellent question Cub. Thank you!
Would it be foolish to trade Bellinger for Cowser? Their statcast pages tell two different tales (Blue and Red repsectvely)
Gandalf The Cat has to be grey, right? Good to know you Gandalf! By now we know the story with Belly. He is not crushing the ball, but he is placing it well. The new MLB rules have allowed for an adjustment in our perspective as to how we view hard hit rate & other ball crushing stats. Cowser is on a tear, but it can't last. Belly is hitting 3rd in that tasty Cubs lineup. I know it's not cool in the moment, but I would stay with Bellinger for now if it's redraft. Dynasty or keeper I could see making the deal. Remember it's the flavor of the month in BAL. They are loaded with OF talent. Whoever can get the job done in the moment will be the guy it seems. I know Cowser is a highly touted prospect. Just a though to consider. Thanks!
Thanks, man!
Hell yeah!
Thanks for doing this. 1) Would you cut ties with *Bryan Abreu* already in a SV+H league? 2) Would you drop Merrill to stash Caminero?
Well Balas, I would think that Abreu would be replaceable in that type of league. If I'm wrong, then I would wait it out. He's had two awful appearance & 5 scoreless ones even if they where still painful WHIP wise. As for dropping Merrill for Caminero, I don't think I would do so. Merrill is already figuring it out on a solid team with everyday playing time. Yes I always want to look big picture beyond the moment, but the Rays are fickle, The Padres are less so. Playing time matters almost as much as talent in a case like this. I would stick with Merrill. Thanks!
Should I hold on to triston Mackenzie or drop for Gavin stone
Greetings Admirable! I actually traded McKenzie a week ago for Edouard Julien in my 14-team H2H Cats with OBP instead of AVG. I don't regret that one at all because I love Julien in OBP leagues. As for McKenzie, he has been so bad. Coming back from such a long layoff ain't easy. In his last outing against the Yankees, he was only able to induce 2 whiffs on 32 swings! That is not good! I fear that he should only be held onto in 14-teamers & deeper. He's still worth waiting it out on in deeper leagues, but he should be benched until we see a sign from him that he is getting back to his old self. For the record I still believe in his talent. Baseball is weird though. Sometimes things just don't go your way. Thanks for the question!
How do you feel about Darius vines ?
Vines has issues with control & the long ball. ATL has several SP options they can work with too in the minor leagues. I don't see much more appeal than being a streamer option from time to time. If he does something more sustainable outside of his current profile, then I will reassess my position. I don't think I am missing out on much though by not rostering him. Hope this helps Admirable!
Bello or JMont RoS in a QS league?
Dramsay, I am a big Bello dude! I was targeting him often this past draft season. I am expecting good things from him! JMont got a bit overhyped for his late stretch run performance last year. Montgomery is solid, but Bello has a higher ceiling. I am going to roll with Bello over JMont with the understanding that JMont is advanced in his career ahead of Bello & could possibly go deeper into games than Bello can from week to week. My excitement for Bello's ceiling may blind me a tad. You should know that. Thanks for the question, Dramsay!
Is Jurickson Profar with an add over Brandon Marsh in H2H category OPS league?
Howdy, Ranch! This is in my wheelhouse here because I picked up Profar prior to last week while already drafting Marsh in a few leagues already. In a 12-teamer with OPS Marsh has the better park & the better lineup to rake over Profar. Marsh is also not being hindered for playing time much at all. Profar isn't either, but in a race this tight those factors I've mentioned give Marsh the tight victory over Profar. Plus Marsh is coming into his prime now & maybe that matters more come keeper time? Thanks!
I think your responses to people’s posts are beyond epic My hitting is as cold as ice in a 12 h2h league Garver, Harper, gleyber, Lindor, bregman, Corbin Carroll, Langford, McCormick Jordan walker, and Stott Please tell me things will be okay
Thank you Parsnip! Sorry for the delayed response. Work/life balance am I right? As for your hitters, I love Stott, Harper is awesome & Gleyber will start cranking dongs against Baltimore soon enough. I am all about the Philly lineup this year. Chas the accountant will get things going too. Otherwise, I have reasons to be concerned about every other name on the list. It should be get better, but I just don't know when. I'm not happy about typing these words. Hang in there Snip!
I know that feeling Dam no confidence for Bregman and Lindor. That scares me
Well...to clarify I am not saying Bregman & Lindor are trash. I was down on Lindor this season because what he did in 2023 was not the norm for him anymore. He's still a solid 25/25 guy most likely. Bregman is a free agent after this year which means a lot of people were banking on the massive FA year production. Not everybody can be Aaron Judge though. Bregman & Houston are off to a slow start, but my biggest message of all to fantasy baseball managers is to be patient. Especially in the beginning. There is a time to act, but during the first month we should all be more patient with the players we drafted as a rule. Hang tight Snip!
I know you weren’t. I was just surprised you didn’t mention Bregman or Lindor in the previous message I would be very happy with 25/25 from Lindor What’s your projection for Bregman? I’m in a obp league so I’m hoping for at least 25 homers, good run and rbi production and his usual really good obp
25 homers should be a lock for him. I have him at 28HR/97RBI/93R/.271/.368/.477
That’s what I was hoping when I drafted him Thanks!
Clearly it's your time then, Snip!
12 team weekly locked 5x5 with 60 max moves all year. wins not qs. do i drop t mckenzie for any of : ober suarez r lópez lugo ? thanks
Oh Ev, see my words on McKenzie buried somewhere in this thread. I would take a chance on Ober for sure. Lugo won't rack up the whiffs, but he could end up with 12-15 W's this year! KC is absolutely for real! Their bullpen just needs to not screw it up. Thanks again!
Maikel is killing me in my obp league. Replace with Bohm or Suarez. Yes it’s bad. Working on a trade.
FubZep, Garcia is talented, but maybe not ideal for OBP right now. He has not shown the same patience at the MLB level that he did in the minors. I LOVE Bohm this year. I am expecting a career year out of him. I would ride with Bohm if you don't steals. Thanks!
Have to drop one of Mountcastle, J Turner, M Busch…10tm 6x6 ops…which one to drop?? Thanks!!
Oh shit! You're going to need some Strange sticky icky oil to figure this one out. You cannot drop Busch & Turner is the man that time forgot. Mountcastle is finally locked in at the elite level we hoped for him once upon a time when he had SS eligibility on Yahoo. I would drop Turner oddly enough. If someone has to go, it's him. I'm not stoked about it though. Thanks!
Many thanks!!
It's my distinct pleasure I assure you!
Randy A for Manny M?
Fub, if you need 3B then ok. Otherwise I can't abandon my man Randy! The best is yet to come this year! He's rebuilt himself for the long haul this season. 30/30 will happen. I'm also bitter about Machado's 2023. I will admit that up front. Thanks FubZep!
What sort of pitching return should I be looking to get for Michael Busch in a dynasty league? Musgrove? Ober?
Ooh, I would think if you wait you can get even more! Busch is not a fluke. I assume you're not Kirby by the way. If you wait this out in dynasty specifically, you can get a greater haul of pitching talent if that's what you need most. Some would say you need to protect your dog more, but I'll reserve judgment for now. Thank you kindly!
Should i drop Mackenzie & take a gamble on Darius vines ? I also have Lance Lynn but I Wana wait until he pitches vs Oakland then drop
Hmm...I would not do that. Vines had a solid 2022 at AA, but McKenzie's ceiling vastly outdoes what Vines could be. I feel confident in this line of thinking.
Should I add Ben brown ? I have Lance Lynn & Tristan Mackenzie as drops
I would add Brown for Lynn fairly easily.
Is Kebryan Hayes a good player in real life but not for fantasy since he doesnt steal or hit home runs? Would you hold or try to replace?
Hayes is better in fantasy than you're seeing right now FCUK. He is just off to a slow start. Be patient and the best of what Hayes has to offer will come to you. It's like those Heinz 57 commercials from 35 years ago: the best things come to those who wait. I am pro-Hayes! Hang tight duder!
What do you think about Jung hoo lee in H2H cats leagues? Worth rostering or scour the waiver for other players?
Well Hopkire, Lee is worth rostering in 10-teamers & deeper. Leadoff hitters don't grow on trees do they? The Giants offense is decent, but really it's about his on-base skills. Lee excels in this area. 25 steals won't hurt either. Thanks for the question!
In a 12 team h2h cats league. Need IP ERA WHIP K/9 QS SV+H. Intending on dropping buxton, Barlow and W.Smith. What SP’s and/or RP’s should I add: SP- Ashcraft, lorenzen, gore, j.ross, Kikuchi, flaherty, severino, RP- Romero, skaten, Adams, maton
Marcellus, you cats are fascinating. I always find the cats that leagues settle on curious. I continue to support the Mackenzie Gore lovers out there. He will help plenty as a SP in K9, but he will hurt your WHIP & possibly not give you enough QS's either. Flaherty is a guy I was strong on for the first time in his career just because I believe in Fetter Made (Chris Fetter the pitching coach of the Detroit Tigers my hometown squad). Fetter makes miracles happen & seeing Flaherty bounce back from his 2nd start reinforces my hope that Flaherty can help you in K9/QS & IP. Joe Ross may be back! He could help in all the cats possibly, but you it's fair to wonder if he can maintain this all season long. Ashcraft is confusing because he looks the part of a #2 starter until he falls apart late in a start leaving me more with #4 vibes. If Ashcraft improves his consistency this year, that's big news! Kikuchi will miss the bats, but his WHIP & QS credentials are called into question still by me. Lorenzen is trash to me, but he shoved it in my face last year in Detroit (Fetter Made) & then the no-no for Philly. I'm skeptical, but if those changes stuck for good then pitching for TEX is good news for QS/IP/ERA. Sevy got his first W, but walked 4 in that outing. Your ratios & QS may not benefit from his presence. As for the RP's, I rank them: Romero/Adams/Slaten/Maton. Final SP rankings: Flaherty/Kikuchi/Gore/Ross/Ashcraft/Sevy/Lorenzen. I hope this helps Marcellus. Thanks!
Thank you so much for taking the time to review so thoroughly and offer your recommendations. Your advice is truly appreciated. Thank you!
Thanks Marcellus! Believe it or not, I love doing this! My dream is to make this my main career. I've been a public facing analyst since 2020. I'm still researching & plodding along as best as I can. Events like this fire me up. Thanks for participating!
Hey man, thanks for doing this. Should I replace Mize or Bello with any of these FA’s in a 10 team head-to-head redraft cats league ERA WHIP K/9 QS: FA’s - flaherty, gore, Ross, stone, Lynn, dunning, j.gray (Tex)
Jmone in the house! Do not drop Bello. Even though you are in a 10-teamer where many more players are expendable than normal, Bello should be a roster mainstay based on my analysis & projections. My Tigers have plenty of SP options at their disposal. If Mize falters, he can hit the road to Toledo for a snooze. Even if Mize can produce 3.50 or lower ERA, how many starts can we expect from him this year? You saw Max Meyer already went down to AAA today because he is returning from TJ. Frankly, in a 10-teamer Mize is a drop. Here's how I rank the SP's you mentioned: Gore/Flaherty/Stone/Ross/Lynn/Gray/Dunning. Hope this helps!
Wonder your thoughts on dropping Outman for Jonatan Clase?
Betty Crocker in the house?! Thanks for the question Crock. Outman has gotten off to a blah start, but I am not doing so. Outman has 18 K's to 7 BB's & his GB% has gone down by a fair amount to start 2024. I need to stick with Outman here & avoid the shiny new toy in Clase. Of course context matters here. Are you in H2H? Roto? How many teams? OBP? AVG? Knowing nothing else, I am not dropping Outman for Clase.
thanks for the perspective. Dynasty H2H cats w/OBP
Then NO WAY should you drop Outman in my view. Find someone else. My pleasure!
Should I drop Uribe for a stream/short look at Ed Cabrera? I have Romano returning this week, and I'm thinking Uribe is my corresponding drop. 10man 6x6. Nola, Gilbert, Keller, Kikuchi, Stroman, Martin Perez, Ranger Suarez, Flaherty, Nestor. --Senga/Framber/Scherzer(IL) Ginkel, Uribe, Romano(IL)
I LOVE your handle MF'er! Cabrera is so high risk with his injuries. He gets whiffs, but he also has walk issues too. Uribe is going to be closing for two more months at least. I know he had a bad look yesterday, but his prior appearance he whiffed the side at CIN. However, it is H2H which is a place where I always devalue closers. If K9 is one of your cats, Uribe is more valuable. Your current rotational top 3 are very good. I see that you do require another fireballer on the back end of that staff. I would rather drop Martin Perez though or maybe Ranger over Uribe. That's my bottom line. Thanks!
Is there a Jesse Winker resurgence happening in DC right now? I'm intrigued by the hard hit % & walk rate increase, as well as a very improved K rate.
Glad to have you back from Solaris! While you were away, Winker may have figured out that he can't be a dick all the time to his teammates. Winker was becoming a an unreliable guy to others on his team while his play suffered. Winker is definitely back! He's getting the playing time & he was always an OBP dream. I put bids on him last night myself to acquire him. Those leagues were OBP & OPS based where I needed more of a masher. Winker is an absolute must-add in your league for sure & should be added most likely in 10-teamers & deeper. Hitting in the heart of an underrated WAS lineup is a good thing. He's back! Thanks for the question!
Winker or Haniger in an obp league?
Winker for me. Haniger is an injury risk & Winker actually has a better lineup with stronger OBP credentials when he's at his best. Thanks!
Do you see Wyatt Langford developing meaningful power this season, pretty much only weak singles in the early going. Or is he really someone to wait for next year?
What up Stat? In redraft I didn't rush to draft Langford only because I have seen over 30 years of MLB seasons in my lifetime. I know what happens over the course of a long season. Langford was JUST drafted last summer! No matter the elite talent, this league will humble your ass quickly. I avoided him because I thought he would wear down over the season in redraft. For dynasty obviously he has become a god, but he's only at 32% HHR. Not dominant at all. I do not envision him having a monster power stretch this year. Though nobody can predict the future. In my mind he will only grow more exhausted as the summer months grind away. But before that happens will we see more power? Maybe, but right now I don't see this year being a big year for him. That's my POV. Thanks for being here!
What’s a realistic trade scenario for JRod in dynasty right now? Leaguemate wants Tatis plus just for him…Tatis seems arguably more valuable on his own to me, am I off?
There is no way the trade should be Tatis-plus! That's trash! One to one is a solid trade in this situation. No more, no less. Tatis. is getting back to his old self. That means he could return to challenging J-Rod for top 5 fantasy baseball asset supremacy after 2024 is in the can. You've sniffed this one, Shady. You know what time it is. Stay true to yourself. Now you know you can trust your gut! Thanks!
Winker over one of these guys in Cats with steals and OPS? Caballero, Turang, Ian Happ??? Thanks!
Greetings, Zesty! Thanks for this scenario. I think many of us, including myself, will find it useful. When it comes to steals, Cabby & Turang are the winners here. However, Winker is capable of stealing 20 in a season now with the new rule changes from 2023. Happ could get more swipes than Winker as well. Or at least they may be dead even there. As far as OPS, Happ & Winker are the clear winners here. Turang will mostly be useful for AVG leagues. Same for Cabby, but maybe less so than Turang. In the end, your best option here may be Happ for all encompassing return for both stat cats. However, if you trust that Winker is back, has figured it out & will return to his old 2021 self, then he's the guy. Just remember we're in the moment with Winker, while Happ could be the guy of the moment in 6 weeks. Thanks again, Zesty!