{"id":280,"date":"2010-05-22T07:15:59","date_gmt":"2010-05-22T12:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/?p=280"},"modified":"2010-05-22T22:12:46","modified_gmt":"2010-05-23T03:12:46","slug":"recent-trade-involvement-in-the-denslow-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/archives\/280","title":{"rendered":"Recent Trade Involvement in the Denslow Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>May 22, 2010<\/p>\n

Jim got engaged!\u00a0 To a terrific young lady I might add.\u00a0 Congratulations, buddy!\u00a0 We\u2019re really proud and excited for you.\u00a0 Two more engagement shout-outs: first one for our buddy, Kevin (Kev Kong) Wilcox; second one for my dental school classmate\/friend and cadaver dissecting partner, Val Sanchez.\u00a0 Very fun things.<\/p>\n

Before I get going with this post, I want to apologize for not posting anything lately.\u00a0 My finals week lasted about 15 days\/nights and was a truly painful experience for everyone involved.\u00a0 I still am awaiting confirmation that I passed my last two exams, but I did not need to do that well on them to make it to 2nd<\/sup> year.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think when I began dental school or even when I was applying that I had any idea what it would actually be like.\u00a0 Grinnell is a challenging undergraduate institution that consistently ranks among the most extensive in the country in terms of workload.\u00a0 It did not remotely compare to what was expected of each student at Baylor.\u00a0 They say the first year of professional school is the most challenging of any student\u2019s career.\u00a0 I really hope that is the case.<\/p>\n

Moving on.\u00a0 I have tried not to write much about fantasy on this blog because I am fearful of disclosing information that has helped me succeed in previous to my competitors.\u00a0 The blog comes first now, though, so hopefully none of what I disclose is seen as particularly novel.<\/p>\n

This post will center on some recent trades I have completed in my 16-team 7 x 7 (AVG, OBP, SLUG, HR, SB, R, RBI x IP, W, SV, K, ERA, WHIP, K\/BB) league that I play in with my friends, many of whom write for the Sombrero.\u00a0 Before I begin I should mention that I tend to give the team I drafted a month or so of a chance for two primary reasons.\u00a0 First, it takes approximately 100 plate appearances or so to produce a meaningful set of results capable of evaluation.\u00a0 Second, this evaluation should help determine a reevaluation of the predraft rankings implicit within are new projections and expectations.\u00a0 This reevaluation should generate some inefficiencies and potential bargain deals throughout any league.\u00a0 Hopefully a month into the season every one of your players are playing over-their-heads and producing at unsustainably high levels.\u00a0 This will inflate their values to the point that they are capable of fetching players ranked considerably higher in the predraft rankings.\u00a0 A month into the season the rankings that should be taken the most seriously remain those produced prior to the draft because they are based in the most extensive and reliable numbers.\u00a0 Some players are streaky, and some streak\/slump oscillations express periods of a month or longer.\u00a0 For these reasons, I target May as the month in which I need to work the hardest in fantasy.\u00a0 This unfortunately coincides with finals and has been hindered more than usual this year.\u00a0 Nevertheless I have made a few moves that I think will really help my squad, the Heights Knights (named after my 8th<\/sup> grade basketball team), find their stride and hopefully begin to climb in the standings.<\/p>\n

CLAR traded Kevin Youkilis<\/strong><\/a>, Bos 3B to A-holes
\nCLAR traded Nate McLouth<\/strong><\/a>, Atl OF to A-holes
\nCLAR traded Kevin Slowey<\/strong><\/a>, Min SP to A-holes
\nMVW traded David Wright<\/strong><\/a>, NYM 3B to Knights
\nMVW dropped David DeJesus<\/strong><\/a>, KC OF to Free Agency
\nMVW dropped Nick Hundley<\/strong><\/a>, SD C to Free Agency<\/p>\n

This trade took place in early May and heavily reflects my love for David Wright and very little else.\u00a0 Simply put, I lost this trade.\u00a0 Youkilis plays for a better team in a better yard, makes contact more often and has better control of the strike zone, probably more power, is more consistent, and, most importantly, will be an easier guy to move later on.\u00a0 This final reason is a product of the fact that as the season progresses, Wright\u2019s strikeout totals will likely seem more astronomic by the day.\u00a0 The Mets are a pathetic organization.\u00a0 I blame their management and front office entirely for David\u2019s recent and ongoing struggles with contact.\u00a0 That\u2019s a different subject for a different day, though.\u00a0 Back to the trade.\u00a0 Slowey\u2019s command is second to none, and even though he lacks a put-away pitch or above average anything, his ability to locate makes him a serviceable two or exceptional three in any rotation.\u00a0 In a league like ours that uses IP as a category, Slowey is a horse and will always outperform his 5×5 ranking.\u00a0 McLouth has not looked like the all-star he was in 2008 because he is not making contact often enough.\u00a0 He will continue to lose playing time as long as he fails to put the ball in play, but, when near his best, McLouth makes Melky Cabrera look like the minor league journeyman he should be.<\/p>\n

Eunuch (MVW) beat me on this trade, but I have David, my favorite player, and I am much happier moving forward now as a result.<\/p>\n

TOWL traded Nick Markakis<\/strong><\/a>, Bal OF to Knights
\nCLAR traded Yovani Gallardo<\/strong><\/a>, Mil SP to Corporate Towls<\/p>\n

This trade was mostly a reflection of our cap on starts.\u00a0 Essentially three starters should be able to reach the cap (100), and I had five at the time.\u00a0 Gallardo was my highest ranked according to ESPN, but in our league should have been dropped extensively due to his notoriously high pitch counts and less-than-ace-caliber walk totals.\u00a0 In standard formats, these are virtually meaningless, but in our league make Yo a 4-category contributor in a 14-category format.<\/p>\n

Markakis has been one of my targets since 2006.\u00a0 His ability to both differentiate balls and strikes as well as center the baseball make him lethal in formats such as ours that utilize both average and OBP categories despite having just 15 to 20-bomb power.\u00a0 Because OBP is not included in the standard format, Markakis is far more valuable in the Cup than he is according to ESPN.<\/p>\n

Budz dropped Kris Medlen<\/strong><\/a>, Atl RP to Free Agency
\nBudz dropped J.J. Putz<\/strong><\/a>, CWS RP to Free Agency
\nBudz traded Billy Butler<\/strong><\/a>, KC 1B to Knights
\nCLAR traded Todd Helton<\/strong><\/a>, Col 1B to ChronicL’s
\nCLAR traded Josh Willingham<\/strong><\/a>, Was OF to ChronicL’s
\nCLAR traded Matt Lindstrom<\/strong><\/a>, Hou RP to ChronicL’s<\/p>\n

Ty9 traded Carlos Lee<\/strong><\/a>, Hou OF to Knights
\nCLAR traded Billy Butler<\/strong>, KC 1B to POO<\/p>\n

These trades happened within hours of each other, so I will treat them as one mega deal in which I move Helton, Willingham, and Lindstrom for Carlos Lee.\u00a0 A trade like this is only possible if you really know the other managers in the league.\u00a0 My first trading partner in this deal was Griff.\u00a0 Griff is after a first-place finish this year, and I know it.\u00a0 He has produced increasingly higher finishes each year and made it into the top-5 last season for the first time.\u00a0 In a 16-team league, saves are a big deal.\u00a0 Not only are there only 30 closers at any time but also a 0 in any category means a lot more when one team is getting 16 and the average team is snagging 8 or 9 from that category.\u00a0 I find it very hard to envision a first place team getting last or even close to last in the saves category.\u00a0 A single stable closer (30 saves) for the entire season is probably enough to avoid a catastrophically low saves total, and closers are hoarded in our league as a result.\u00a0 The effects of this hoarding are an enhanced demand and a reduced supply of saves.\u00a0 Griff recognized that the longer he waited, the less the return and the higher the cost.\u00a0 By a stroke of luck, Alfredo Simon<\/a>, the new Orioles closer was available as well as Manny Corpas<\/a> making Lindstrom somewhat expendable.<\/p>\n

Willingham is another guy who is worth more in our league than in a standard league because of his skill at reaching base, but what some folks have been slow to accept is the quality of the heart of the Nationals order.\u00a0 Hitting behind Adam Dunn<\/a> should provide Hammer with a shot at 100 RBI\u2019s.\u00a0 He has a chance this season to be an all-star and is especially valuable in a platoon.<\/p>\n

Todd Helton<\/a> again is more valuable in our league due to his combination of average and on-base skills.\u00a0 Jason Giambi<\/a> is a ridiculous distraction and almost comical nowadays, but he should be eliminated shortly I suspect due to the imminent season-ending injury that surely accompanies 39-year old, fat, steroid abusers.\u00a0 Griff actually got Helton at a time when his value may be somewhat deflated due to his slow start, and in general this trade is looking as though I came away the loser.<\/p>\n

However, I knew if I could just snag Butler that Ty9, a lifelong and diehard Royals fan, would probably give me Carlos Lee in exchange.\u00a0 Lee has been getting a lot of bad publicity recently because of his slow start, but the guy can take every square inch of the zone 450 ft.\u00a0 I saw his slow start as an obvious opportunity to buy low on a guy that has a 3-year mean OPS over .880 and a 5-year average of 31 dongs\/season.<\/p>\n

Everyone other Tyrone won this one.<\/p>\n

Bob dropped Mike Adams<\/strong><\/a>, SD RP to Free Agency
\nCLAR traded David Ortiz<\/strong><\/a>, Bos DH to of Shelley
\nCLAR traded Chris Coghlan<\/strong><\/a>, Fla OF to of Shelley
\nBob traded Carlos Pena<\/strong><\/a>, TB 1B to Knights<\/p>\n

As noted earlier, I have a tendency to fall in love with certain players.\u00a0 Carlos is one of those guys for me.\u00a0 I have never had him on my team.\u00a0 He is clearly underperforming right now, but has shown the ability to stay inside and above the ball with good lower body action in the last week or so against good arms.\u00a0 The ball Gardner took away was an excellent swing, and the next night Carlos went deep twice.\u00a0 I love him and rolled out the red carpet this morning for him.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a Coghlan believer.\u00a0 I think his mechanics at the plate allow him to handle almost all pitches even though they probably are good for no more than fifteen jacks\/season.\u00a0 As everyone has always known about Coghlan, his skills play better at 2B than at a COF spot.\u00a0 Not going to happen with Uggla<\/a> on 40-jack pace.\u00a0 Still, Coghlan should be around a .300 hitter the rest of the way while walking at a respectable clip.<\/p>\n

Papi is so tough to evaluate right now.\u00a0 Sometimes he looks as good as ever, and sometimes he looks like he could go 0-for a beer league game.\u00a0 This suggests that Papi is guessing and cheating his hands at the plate to compensate for either reduced pitch deciphering abilities, reduced bat speed, injury, or a combination of the three.\u00a0 I suspect that I may have moved him at the perfect time, and while I have normally been a fan of Papi, the failed PED test was a big turnoff for me.\u00a0 Considering I plucked him off of waivers a week before this deal, it was easy to pull the trigger.<\/p>\n

I am very satisfied with these trades and the way my team is looking.\u00a0 This has been one of my more successful Mays, and, with the addition of luck, health, and a few more quality moves, it should put me in position to challenge for my first title.<\/p>\n

The current Knights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
C<\/strong><\/td>\nCarlos Ruiz<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1B<\/strong><\/td>\nCarlos Pena<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2B<\/strong><\/td>\nDustin Pedroia<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3B<\/strong><\/td>\nDavid Wright<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SS<\/strong><\/td>\nHanley Ramirez<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
OF<\/strong><\/td>\nMichael Bourn<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
OF<\/strong><\/td>\nNick Markakis<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
OF<\/strong><\/td>\nCarlos Lee<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
UTIL<\/strong><\/td>\nAdam Dunn<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bench<\/strong><\/td>\nJim Thome<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bench<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P<\/strong><\/td>\nCole Hamels<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P<\/strong><\/td>\nAlfredo Simon<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P<\/strong><\/td>\nManuel Corpas<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P<\/strong><\/td>\nAaron Heilman<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P<\/strong><\/td>\nJ.J. Putz<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P<\/strong><\/td>\nCarlos Villanueva<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bench<\/strong><\/td>\nScott Baker<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bench<\/strong><\/td>\nJeff Niemann<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bench<\/strong><\/td>\nTed Lilly<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bench<\/strong><\/td>\nErvin Santana<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DL<\/strong><\/td>\nMike Gonzalez<\/a>*\u00a0DL15<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

May 22, 2010 Jim got engaged!\u00a0 To a terrific young lady I might add.\u00a0 Congratulations, buddy!\u00a0 We\u2019re really proud and excited for you.\u00a0 Two more engagement shout-outs: first one for our buddy, Kevin (Kev Kong) Wilcox; second one for my dental school classmate\/friend and cadaver dissecting partner, Val Sanchez.\u00a0 Very fun things. Before I get […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15,76,6,11,13],"tags":[351,155,342,340,111,321,347,352,345,350,346,335,344,334,103,356,348,339,216,354,349,156,333,331,338,343,341,206,36,357,332,336,337,353,355,102,194],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":283,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280\/revisions\/283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}