Throw your roster questions at us and we'll tell you who sticks.
A Brewers uniform should be a good look for Kyle Lohse.
With their drafts behind them, most fantasy GMs have entered a period of reflection and/or depression. Savvy owners know this is one of the prime times to make advantageous trades and last-second roster tweaks. With those thoughts in mind, we head to the emails for a feel of what’s going through the heads of our faithful readers:
I’ve been offered Robinson Cano, Mariano Rivera and Madison Bumgarner for Joey Votto and David Price. I’m weak in saves, but I’m worried that I’m giving up too much in this deal. What should I do?
– Adam in Amherst
Cano and Votto are basically a wash at the plate. When you factor in positions, and the fact Cano is in a contract year, we think you’re coming out ahead. The question then is, would you deal Price for Rivera and Bumgarner? We say yes. Price will put up better numbers than Bumgarner, but the addition of Rivera’s saves potential makes it worthwhile.
I had grabbed Kyle Lohse in the last round of my draft hoping that he would land somewhere good. How do you think he’ll pan out in Milwaukee?
– Dan in West Side
Milwaukee is as good a location as any for Lohse. A lineup led by Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez, Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez is going to put up runs, which should lead to plenty of win chances for Lohse. Will he replicate his dazzling 2012? That’s hard to predict, but we see him as a safe bet for 13-15 wins and a sub-3.50 ERA.
Jackie Bradley Jr. is still a free agent in my league. Should I grab him now or wait it out and see how he plays if he gets the chance?
– Steve in Chicopee
If you wait on Bradley, he’s not going to be there when you go back later. In fact, with the sheer amount of kudos he’s received from our local media, we’re shocked you can still get him. In a league outside New England, you could maybe afford to wait and see, but not around here.
Bradley’s performance against Cliff Lee on Sunday should have answered any questions about whether he’ll make the big club (although arbitration and club-control issues could rear their ugly heads), and we believe he’ll have an impressive debut. Let’s not get too crazy – he isn’t going to approach Mike Trout’s luminous 2012 campaign – but you could be looking at a serviceable fantasy outfielder in his rookie season.
– Greg G. in Southwick
How big is your league? We’re thinking you either have an All-Star at every offensive position or your draft was, well, we’ll go with “less than stellar.” Either way, that’s what we’re here for, and in all honesty, we’re buying Lackey and Blanton more than most. Neither guy is going to win 20 (or 17 or 15), but both could be innings-eaters on a good team (we’re eternal optimists in New England this time of year). And innings-eaters on good teams get wins.
We say look to your waiver wire for a solution (Vance Worley? Jake Westbrook?), and if you can’t find one there, play the matchups with Lackey and Blanton. Drop Sanchez as soon as you can.
Thanks for the questions. If you have some you’d like to submit, feel free to hit us up on Twitter for an immediate answer or send us an email we might use in a future Q & A session.
Merry opening day to all.
The Fantasy 413 column appears in The Republican and on MassLive each Saturday. The Republican’s fantasy guys can be reached at thefantasy413@gmail.com, Twitter @TheFantasy413 or through the Comments section below.