2024 Spears Carriers

It was a frustrating draft. Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes were the marquee players and garnered huge bids of $51 and $39. A part of me wishes I had taken Burnes, but I can’t pay $40 for a starting pitcher. I just can’t.

My Bargain Basement Cathers

There’s nothing to write home about here.

C Jose Trevino More NYY 1  C Christian Vazquez More Min 2 

My Very Decent Infield

This infield should generate a lot of power numbers and runs, but few steals.

1B Anthony Rizzo NYY 10  2B Brandon Drury LAA 10  3B Josh Jung Tex 10  SS Corey Seager Tex 38  CI Justin Turner Tor 13  MI Jorge Mateo Bal 1 

My Middle of the Road Outfield

These are a bunch of mid-tier to low-tier guys. I’m hoping for bounce-back performances from Kepler and Kirloff. I’m also hoping Cedric Mullins retains his job. There have been rumors. 

OF Tyler O'Neill Bos 21  OF Kerry Carpenter Det 13  OF Max Kepler Min 9  OF Cedric Mullins Bal 13  OF Hunter Renfroe KC 16  DH Alex Kirilloff Min 4 

My Iffy Starting Staff

Castillo should be good, but all others are nothing but risks. We shall see.

P Luis Castillo Sea 27 P Jon Gray Tex 19 P Yusei Kikuchi Tor 5 P Erick Fedde CWS 17 P Patrick Sandoval LAA 1 P Clarke Schmidt NYY 5 P Zack Littell TB 1

My Mid-Tier Relievers

Let’s face it, either of these guys could lose their job at any moment.

P Alex Lange More Det 15 P Carlos Estevez More LAA 9

I don’t have a lot of hope for this team. There’s no speed with the exception of Mateo and there’s nothing but hopes and dreams for the rest of my starting staff.

FBB 2023: The Ugly End

I didn't go from first to worst, but it was close. I placed in 9th.

That said, I did a couple of dump trades near the end of the year, sort of strategically trying to get a better draft position. Of the trades, I may regret dumping Andes Gimenez. He sucked through the season, but jumped his numbers up towards the end. With McClanahan down for 2024 with TJ surgery, my starting staff will be thin. The top starter I have is Luis Castillo, but Kyle Bradish is good too and did look good down the stretch. After that, there's some long shots -- Bryce Miller and maybe Logan Allen. Estevez and Lange were decent closers, so I may be hold onto one or both of them. As for position players, the best I have are Seager (who was great) and Cedric Mullins (who was not great) then Brandon Drury and Kerry Carpenter. That's not a lot to build on and I'm not hopeful for next season unless I get really lucky.

FBB 2023: Dump Trades

In seeing my team is not going to be even close to competing, I've decided to pull off some dump trades to get prospects and younger, cheaper talent. Trade 1 Spears Carriers Trade Andrew Vaughn, 1B CHW Trade Matt Chapman, 3B TOR

Weekend Warriors Trade Mike Ford, 1B SEA Eduardo Escobar, 3B LAA Josh Jung, RL TEX

This was all for Jung. Neither Vaughn nor Chapman are performing to their salaries and are not players to build around.

Trade 2 Spears Carriers Trade Steve Kwan, OF CLE Trade Andres Gimenez, 2B CLE

Susquehannocks Trade Mauricio Dubon, 2B HOU Trade Jake Meyers, OF HOU Trade Jonathan Aranda, Minor TB Trade Shane Baz, RL TB

Both Kwan and Gimenez were not going to be freezes for next year. I decided Aranda and Baz were worth the risk -- that is, if the Rays play Aranda. He's been active for almost a week and they haven't started him once. His is issue is that he isn't a great fielder, but has great hitting skills. We shall see if either of these pay off. I do think Jung will, but harbor some skepticism that about Aranda and Baz. Baz is going to hope to come back from a 3rd Tommy John surgery next season.

Really Bad News My ace, Shane McClanahan, is having Tommy John surgery. I saw it coming. He had a string of mediocre starts, then got pulled from a start. Then the announcement. It's a real blow for my team and part of the reason I went for Baz.

FBB 2023: Looking to Next Season

Well, after a winning season, my team has imploded. I'm currently in 7th and most of key players are injured, plus many of my players are sucking.

Here's the tale: Cory Seager - currently on his second stint on the IL Cedric Mullins - SAA Brandon Drury - has spent weeks on the IL Lance Lynn - I cut him, brought him back & he got traded to the NL Bryce Miller - a once golden boy has gone south Andres Gimenez - has horrible underperformed except SBs Shane McClanahan - has had a string of bad outings Both Chapman and Rizzo have also underperformed All-in-All, the team has been a disappointment and I don't see a great core of players to build on.

FBB 2023: Stuck in the Middle

I brought back 80% of my first place team from last season and they have greatly under-performed for me this season. Let me count the ways:

Alek Manoah - so bad that he got sent to the instructional league

Lance Lynn - so bad I cut him...then brought him back

Anthony Rizzo - after starting hot, he has been mediocre

Matt Chapman - Ditto from the above

Andre Gimenez - I thought he was the next Jose Ramirez, not so

Steven Kwan - I thought he would rise, but again, not so

Mixed Results

Corey Seager - great but injured for 45 days

Cedric Mullins - started hot, got hurt

Bright Spots

Both Carlos Estevez and Alex Lange have been capable closers

Luis Castillo - Pitching great

Shane McClanahan - performing like a Cy Young contender

Brandon Drury - started slow, picked up

Outlook Poor. I have some upside players - Bryce Miller and Logan Allen have shown promise. Kyle Bradish is starting to shine after some bad starts.

I am disappointed that my first place team has let me down.

FBB 2023: One Month In

Well, we’re one month into the season and my results have been underwhelming. With exceptions of catchers, I brought back 80% of my hitters. Because I won with my team last season, I thought they could repeat. Alas, that has proven out -- so far. 

Currently, my team is in 6th place. Like last season, I built my team on power and speed. I’m getting the speed, but not the power. That said, Corey Seager, who I was counting on as keystone player has been out for 3 weeks and will be out for at least two more with a hamstring injury. That has really hurt. 

But both Anthony Rizzo and Matt Chapman have been great. Chapman absolutely exploded and has an OPS of 1.109.  Andres Gimenez, Steven Kwan, Jose Miranda and Andrew Vaughn have been underperforming. My outfield has been a revolving door as Laureano, Carpenter, and Meadows all have ended up on the IL. In fact, I’ve own 3 Tigers outfielders, which is not a good thing.

My two newbies on offense were Brandon Drury and Kolten Wong. Both sucked for about 3 weeks, but Drury caught fire and really helped me surge a little. I’ve cut Wong.  My pitching has had some bright spots and some downs. McClanahan and Castillo have been out of sight. Manoah and Lynn have both struggled, but Manoah is doing better. Lynn, not so much.  Martin Perez has been Martin Perez, getting wins with unimpressive stuff. Kyle Bradish looked great for a tiny bit, but got injured. He has had one good start and one awful start since returning from the IL  I do have two rookie pitchers who have had great debuts -- Logan Allen and Bryce Miller. If Bradish fumbles, I can promote one of them. My big gamble on relievers are looking like they are paying off. Alex Lange looks to be the primary closer for the Tigers and Carlos Estevez looks set as the closer for the Angels. What about looking forward? Well, I’m optimistic that my team will climb in the standings, but getting back to first will be a real struggle. The first place team is really dominating right now. We shall see. It’s a long season.

FBB 2023: The Draft Report

The 2023 Spears Carriers

This team is 80% the same as my 2022 team because my 2022 won it all. My catchers have changed and I have two faces in the bullpen. My new faces on offense are Brandon Drury, Austin Meadows, and Kolton Wong.

My starting pitching staff is 100% the same as last season. I paid for them, but they should deliver across all the starting pitching categories.

My relievers are a reach for saves. None of them have been officially set as closers. We shall see. It’s basically like I’m punting saves. 

My Cheap Catchers C - Christian Vazquez $6 C - Martin Maldonado $1

My Slugging Infield 1B - Anthony Rizzo $18 2B - Andres Gimenez $9 SS - Corey Seager, $31 3B - Matt Chapman, $22 CI - Jose Miranda, $9 MI - Brandon Drury, $6 ← New face

My Low Cost Speedy Outfield OF - Cedric Mullins $9 OF - Andrew Vaughn $14 OF - Steven Kwan $9 OF - Ramon Laureano $11 OF - Austin Meadows $10 ← New face

UT - Kolton Wong $4 ← New face

My Repeat Starting Rotation Shane McClanahan $9 Alek Manoah $22 Luis Castillo, $23 Lance Lynn $18 Martin Perez $5 Kyle Bradish $3

My Revamped Bullpen Alex Lange $11 Carlos Estevez $11 Jimmy Herget $1

Draft Strategy Review

I’ve never gone into a draft with a plan that I was able to follow -- until now. I had set goals which basically boiled down to maintaining the core of my winning team and I did it.

My infield is the same as 2022 with the exception of Brandon Drury. I liked him because he has position eligibility at 1B, 2B, and 3B. 

I had locked in the first four positions in my outfield. The only new face is Austin Meadows. He had a pattern of delivering every other year. This is his year to deliver. I actually tried to get Kerry Carpenter, but he went for $9.

My most sketchy position is closer. I took reaches there, picking up Alex Lange, Carlos Estevaz and Jimmy Hertage. I hope at least one of them ends up being a closer.

What Needs to Happen for Me to Win

My team matches last year’s performances

Seager steps up due to the end of the shift

4 of my SPs deliver

One of relievers becomes a closer

Road to Defeat

Castillo & Manoah regress, McClanahan is injured

My pseudo closers becomes just that

Kwan & Laureano regress. Meadows doesn’t rebound

Drury & Wong don’t adjust to the AL pitching

Most Likely Scenario

Seager meets expectations

My OF remains steady

Bradish flourishes, then struggles

One of my relieves does close but two do not

I trade my wealth of talent for a closer

FBB 2023: Price of Winning

What Winning Cost Me

Key components of my team were built through trades -- trades that may cost me in the long run. I traded away a lot of high quality pitching because 3B was weak and I lost Matt Olson. 

Here are the deals: Dylan Cease ($5) for Matt Chapman ($17) Tristan McKenzie ($5) for Anthony Rizzo ($20 in the draft) George Kirby ($2) for Sonny Gray ($27) Drew Rasmussen ($5) for Lance Lynn ($19)

If I had it to do over, I would not have traded away Kirby. I wish I didn’t have to trade Cease.

I have an incredibly expensive starting staff to protect in the draft, but also some cheaper keepers: (includes next year’s salaries) Shane McClanahan ($9) Martin Perez ($5) Alek Manoah ($22) Luis Castillo ($47) Lance Lynn ($23) Sonny Gray ($31)

I also have Austin Voth and Kyle Bradish at $5 a piece. If I kept one, it would probably be Voth.

Of the above, McClanahan and Perez are definite keepers. I’d probably keep Manoah, but Lance will be a stretch. Sonny Gray will not be keepable.

FBB 2022: I Won!

How I Won It All A part of me said it might have been luck, but the truth of the matter was that I went into the draft with three strategies:

Get steady performers over stars

Spend early because the talent pool thins out quickly

Go for Power and Speed

SOP My other standard operating procedure is to get work-horse contributors and avoid spending lots of money on stars and hyped-up prospects. I think my team reflected that with the likes of Anthony Rizzo, Cedric Mullins, Matt Chapman, and Corey Seager. Basically, get producers across all positions.

Spend Early That said, I spent $41 on Trevor Story and he missed over a third of the season and when he did play, he wasn’t all that great. Yes, had he played a full season, I project 22 HRs and 20 SBs. But that $41 was a part of my strategy to spend early to get talent. 

Power and Speed I ignored batting average and picked up Story, Rizzo, and Chapman for power. I figured Seager would hit for average and give me decent power. (He led my team in HRS, but his average was sub-par.) Ramon Laureano was a good balance of speed and power for me as he got 13 HRs and 11 SBs. 

I thought after a 30/30 season, Cedric Mullins would hit more HRs, but he delivered on speed with 34 SBs. 

Along with Mullins, both Andres Gimenez and Steven Kwan got me SBs with 20 and 19 each. 

Pre-Season Moves I was blessed to have an abundance of pitching talent going into the pre-season. That gave me some options. When I lost Matt Olson, I was forced to part with some of that talent though. I was okay with trading Triston McKenzie for Anthony Rizzo, but I still regret trading Dylan Cease for Matt Chapman, but third base talent was so thin. (In reflection, I would have been better off going for Eugenio Suarez and keeping Cease, but I won the league, so that’s what matters most.)

Reworking my Starting Rotation Revamping my Starting Rotation is becoming a regular practice for me. 

Here’s how I started the Season: SP - Alek Manoah, TOR $18 SP - Shane McClanahan, TB $5 SP - John Means, BAL $7 SP - Chris Flexen, SEA $5 SP - Corey Kluber, TB $11

Here’s my final rotation: SP - Alek Manoah, TOR $18 SP - Luis Castillo, SEA $42 SP - Lance Lynn, CHW $19 SP - Martin Perez, TEX $1 SP - Austin Voth, BAL $1 SP - Kyle Bradish, BAL $1 (NOTE: Shane McClanahan and Sonny Gray was on the IL at the end of the season.)

I had a lot of issues with my starting pitching. John Means made two starts and then went down to TJ surgery. I subbed in Matt Brash, who looked good in Spring Training. (Brash didn’t perform.)

Probably my most important pickup was Martin Perez. I usually avoid Perez like he was the plague, but he discovered some magic this season. I almost picked up another pitcher, but ran my two choices (Faedo or Perez) past the CBS Fantasy Baseball Facebook group, they recommended Perez. I’m glad I took their advice. 

When Corey Kluber went south, I picked up Austin Voth of the O’s and while he didn’t get Ks, he maintained a decent ERA. Likewise, I picked up Kyle Bradish who delivered almost identical numbers to each other. (I discovered that O’s pitchers were attractive this season because the leftfield wall was moved back in Camden Yards.) 

I made two big trades, moving Drew Rasmussen for Lance Lynn and George Kirby for Sonny Gray. If I had to do over, I would still make the Lynn trade but I would not have traded Kirby. Kirby would have been a nice cheap starting pitcher for the future, but I went for the win.

My other big move was to go all-in on Luis Castillo, who was traded by the Reds to the Mariners. I almost didn’t get him, but a procedural rule blocked another owner from getting him (who had a higher bid). This move probably switched the lead to me (the losing owner came in 3rd) or else it would have been close.

Prospects Pay Off I did well in the minor league draft and went for players that would deliver this season. While Steven Kwan doesn’t hit for power, he helped lift my BA and stole 19 bases.

Jose Miranda made a huge difference for my team. I no longer had to depend on Matt Chapman to carry the load on the hot corner.

George Kirby was carry over minor leaguer and he allowed me to trade for Sonny Gray who pitched well for me down the final stretch. 

Mistakes Were Made The above mentioned Kirby trade was one of them. Plus, the Chapman for Cease trade.

Chasing saves turned out to be a bad move. Soto held his role as closer for the Tigers, but other than Dany Jimenez getting 10 saves for me early one, I didn’t get much from Duran, Brett Martin, or Dillion Tate. 

Sticking with Vidal Brujan as a prospect was another mistake.

Spending $64 on two players who didn’t play that much could have doomed my team. Trevor Story ($41) certainly didn’t deliver on that spend. Fanmill Reyes ($23) was so bad the Guardians cut him. 

Looking at these two players and the money I spent on them and it’s a wonder I won. But I did, so I’m guessing it really wasn’t luck that I did.

I lost out on Amed Rosario because I filled my MI slots (Story, Seager, Gimenez) and thought Rasario could play the OF. (He only played 18 games in the OF in ‘21.) But on the upside, Gimenez outperformed Rosario.

Hitting MVP Corey Seager ($38) 33 HRs and 83 RBI paid off for me

My Cy Young Alek Manoah edged out Shane McClanahan, but only because McClanahan was hurt at the end of the season. 

Best Value Player Andres Gimenez ($4) 17 HRs, 69 RBI, 20 SBs (I’m hoping becomes the next Jose Ramirez.) 

Summing Up I won because I spent early and stuck with my strategy of not overspending on superstars, but instead of getting steady performers

FBB 2020: 10 Games To Go

With 10 games to go, I’m in first place by 8 points, but it will be nervous final few games. 

Members of my team are starting to fall to injuries.

Sonny Gray is done of the season with a hamstring injury

Shane McClanahan (my ace) came off the IL, but then is having neck spasms

Trevor Story is also done for the season. The 2nd half was lost to injuries.

Ramon Laureano has an injury that has finished his season

McClanahan is my biggest concern. He’s been an anchor is for my rotation. 

That said, I’ve been extremely lucky with replacements. 

I picked up two Oriole’s starters who had been shaky at the beginning of the season, but have been improving in the second half. 

Austin Voth - in 5 starts, he has a 2.88 ERA with two wins

Kyle Bradish - in 5 starts, he has a 2.07 ERA with two wins

(Bradish just had a 10K shut out last night.) Kerry Carpenter of the Tigers doesn’t play everyday, but when he does, he has been hitting home runs. 

Gavin Sheets is not hitting for average, but like Carpenter, he’s hitting HRs. Statistically, I should finish in first, but earlier in the season, I was up by 12 points and fell out of first in less than 5 days (only regain first in one day). I sure miss the huge lead I had at the end of the last two seasons I won. 

FBB 2022: Trouble Brewing

The race is getting hot and my team is falling apart. First, Shane McClanahan went on the DL with a shoulder issue. It is reported that he will be back, but it is his shoulder. Even worse right now, Anthony Rizzo is headed for the IL. He has basically been out of the line-up for the last two weeks with a back issue. The reason this is a bigger issue is that my hitting seems to have gone south of the last couple weeks.  Rizzo is leading my team in HRs at 30. Trevor Story is back from a hand injury and was hot, but now he has gone cold.  On the week, my team has hit 1 HR with 7 RBI and 1 SB.  108 Stitches is just 4 points behind me and if my team continues to slump, that lead will collapse, which will be a tragedy because I’ve been in first for the vast majority of the season. Compounding the problem is there is almost no talent on the waiver wire. We shall see, but I’m concerned.

FAAB 2022: Sept 1 Status

I’m in first by 6 points, but there is trouble on the rise. 

My best SP, Shane McClanahan just went down with a shoulder impingement. He will be out for at least two weeks. 

Anthony Rizzo is going through back issues. 

Martin Perez is finally looking like Martin Perez.

Ramon Laureano is on the IL

On the upside:

Despite the back issues, Anthony Rizzo has hit 2 HRs this week

Trevor Story is back in my line-up and he is hitting

Cedric Mullins is getting closer to 30 SBs

Lance Lynn is finally looking like Lance Lynn again

Sonny Gray has been fantastic over his last 5 starts

The Replacements:

Kerry Carpenter replace Will Benson. Carpenter has HR power

Auston Voth replaces Chris Archer

Kyle Bradish will fill in for Shane McClanahan

Trade Reflections

Drew Rasmussen for Lance Lynn - Rasmussen has been fantastic since I traded him away, but he also has been limited in innings. Lynn was shaky, but he now seems back on track

George Kirby for Sonny Gray - Kirby has also been fantastic, but he could see innings limits. Sonny Gray has been great for me. Trade Summary - I want to win this season and if that means losing future value, I’ll do it. Closing Comments If things continue this way, I could finish in first, but I’ve also dropped out of first 5 times in the last two months when my team has slumped and my competitor surged. It’s going to be a long month of September.

FBB 2022: Scrapping for 1st

Over the past two weeks, my team has slipped out of first twice, once by 3 points. Rick is working hard to make his team (108 Stitches) very competitive.  My team, though, my team has become less competitive. Franmil Reyes was so bad, he got DFA’ed by the Guardians and is not in the NL. So, that’s $23 that pretty much got wasted. Corey Kluber had been pretty decent for most of the first half, but he has gotten worse in his last 8 starts.  I put a question on FBT’s Facebook page as to whether I should cut him and pick up a surging Jose Suarez, but the two responses said no. One said Kluber had 10 quality starts this season. The problem was that those starts were at the beginning of the season. So, I dropped Kluber, but someone else has picked up Suarez. Next, I need to trust my gut and make the move. So, I got stuck with Chris Archer...again. Lance Lynn was also on the bubble for my team, too. His ERA is over 5.00, but he has been better lately and is striking out a player per inning. So, I’m holding onto him for now. Anthony Rizzo has cooled off some, dealing with a back injury. Andres Gimenez has been on fire and is approaching 15/15 numbers. I’m glad I got him over Rosario (who is playing well, too, but Gimenez has more power). Steven Kwan, while giving little power, is stealing bases. I picked up Nicky Lopez and he picked up 6 SBs in two weeks. Go Nicky. My $41 Trevor Story has been on the IL for the past few weeks with a broken wrist. With Reyes gone, I need Story’s bat in my line-up, but my expectations are tempered. On the pitching side, Luis Castillo has been great since I got him via FAAB. Alek Manoah has been very good. Martin Perez is coming back to reality, but is still over achieving. Sonny Gray has been solid, but not quite spectacular. One disturbing note is that Shane McClanahan is showing signs of slipping. Over the last 3 weeks, his ERA is approaching 5.00 and his K’s are well below 1 per inning. I would imagine he is getting tired and the Rays may start cutting his appearances.  On the closer side, I picked up Jonathan Hernandez and he has gotten me 2 saves. Gregory Soto has been a little rocky lately, but he is getting saves. There’s a month and half of baseball to be played and I’m currently up by 7 games. I hope it holds.

FBB 2022: Still in First

Two days ago, my team moved out to a 12 point lead in first. 

When I look over this team, that is surprising. On offense, I have no real superstars. Plus, a couple of my players have been real duds. Since I went with a power/speed approach, that has played out as expected. Hitter Review

Rizzo has been my power hitter with 27 HRs.

Seager came alive in May and July and has 24 Hrs. 

Matt Chapman also decided to hit and is up to 20 Hrs.

Cedric Mullins power has shown up, but he has 24 SBs

Andres Gimenez is my little engine that could 12 HRs/11 SBs

Ramon Laureano is similar with a lower BA, 12 HRs/10 SBs

Steven Kwan is hitting for average and has 8 SBs

So, it really is a team effort. I lost Trevor Story to a broken hand, but he had clocked 15 HRs before his departure. Another downside is that Franmil Reyes was so bad that the Guardians sent him to triple AAA. 

I just activated Jose Miranda who is hitting the cover off the ball. If he continues that, I will very happy. To replace Trevor Story, I picked up Nicky Lopez who has 4 SBs in just over a week.  Pitching Review

Shane McClanahan has been fantastic as has Alek Manoah. 

Martin Perez is still defying the odds and pitching great

Luis Castillo was pretty good vs the Yanks in his first ALstart

Sonny Gray was okay in his first start for my team

Gregory Soto was not traded & is still getting me saves

Sadly, Jhoan Duran is basically out of any chance of being the closer for the Twins. A deadline trade brought in a full-time closer. I did pick up Jonathan Hernandez of the Rangers who could become the closer.

There’s a lot of baseball to be played. Right now, I’m in a good position, but a couple injuries and/or prolonged slumps could make things dicey.

FBB 2022: Big Surprise

Two days ago, I made a huge bid for Luis Castillo, who had been traded from the Reds to the Mariners, but I lost out because I only had $42 in FAAB money left. Basically, I got outbid.

Then, much to my surprise, I discovered that I had won the bid because the team who originally won the bid had gone over the team budget limit. We have an arcane rule that before Aug 1, your team budget can’t exceed $360. He went over by a few dollars and my bid left me $6 under the limit.

So, now I have a massive amount of decent to great starting pitching. (Maybe too much.) 

Alek Manoah

Shane McClanahan

Luis Castillo

Martin Perez

Sonny Gray

Lance Lynn

Corey Kluber

With Lance Lynn pitching poorly and Corey Kluber starting to degrade in each start, I knew I had to shore up my starting rotation. I now feel like I have a solid starting 5. If Lynn and Kluber continue to suck, I can now dump one of them. As of today, I’m 8 points ahead of the second place team, but there’s a lot of baseball to be played. I think my hitting is in a very good position, but I’m still somewhat concerned about my pitching. We shall see.

FBB 2022: Dog Fight for 1st

I’m in a real dog fight to stay in first. I’ve been in first for the most of the last two months or more, but a couple of days. 108 Stitches and Susquanahawks both have had a couple of days in first, but I’ve been there 95% of the time. It seems that each time a hitter on my team slumps, another one gets hot. For instance lately, Matt Chapman has been on a tear while Cedric Mullins is slumping (albeit still getting steals). I know in my last post, I was lamenting trading Cease for Chapman, but if Chapman remains hot, then it may balance out. I finally pulled the plug on Yoan Moncada and releases him and promote a red-hot Jose Miranda (who I picked up in the minor league draft). Moncada is getting warmer, but Miranda is running circles around him. Now, my pitching has become a major concern. In a knee jerk reaction I traded Drew Rasmussen for Lance Lynn. On paper, Lynn is the better pitcher, but he’s been pretty awful for me. He’s had one good start, but he is getting the Ks, Today, I just agreed to a trade where I send George Kirby to JOES for Sonny Gray. Kirby is going to face innings limits and and Gray is pretty pitching pretty well. I’m kicking myself for not picking up Jon Gray earlier. He has been pretty awful and got waived, but it looks like he has really turned things around. I just need to start getting saves. The problem is that Soto and Duran just aren’t getting the save opportunities. I also just put in a MAJOR FAAB bid for Luis Castillo who just got traded by the Reds to the Mariners. I’ll know tomorrow if I get him or not.

FBB 2022: If I Lose...

I know this is bad mojo, but if I lose, it will most likely be linked back to the pre-season trade I made for Matt Chapman, trading away Dylan Cease. Cease has been lights out. Chapman, while hitting the ball hard, is not producing the power numbers I’m looking for.  I did some ballpark numbers and keeping Cease would probably have resulted in a 3 point difference in my numbers.  One the upside, Corey Seager is starting to pay off. After a somewhat middling start, he has been on fire. My friend said get Trevor Story, but I liked Seager more. He played in a pitcher’s park and produced some impressive numbers in LA.  Bad Trade? I made a trade to help my flagging Starting Rotation, but it as not turned out well in the short run. I traded Drew Rasmussen for Lance Lynn. Lynn has stunk it up for two straight starts. They say his underlying numbers are good but the actual results have been ugly. Still in First I’ve been scrapping to stay in first for the past week, but got some breathing room in the last couple days. Two teams have bounced up into a first place tie with me. There’s a lot of baseball to be played.