Trade deadline

For many leagues the trade deadline is July 31st. That means you have just over a week to answer this question: am I a buyer or a seller?

It seems like an easy question and, for some, it is. If you're in the top 3-5 of your league you obviously have a shot at finishing in the money. If you currently reside in or near the basement, you're out. But, for those lingering outside of the top five but not quite near the bottom, what do you do?

The key to making the right decision is to be honest with yourself. Don't do a sell job on yourself, making your team seem better than it is. It will only hurt you.

Take a look at your team, a good look. Have you struggled because of injuries but your players are now healthy? Have some of your typically slow starters picked it up over the last couple weeks? If the answer to those is a solid "yes," you're probably in good shape to buy.

But, if you haven't dealt with injuries and you don't have a roster of second-half performers, it's a good idea to sell. And don't be fooled into thinking that one or two prospects might get called up and save your team. Those players can sometimes put a team over the top, but they won't usually take you from 10th place to 3rd.

So, what are the best ways to buy or sell? Here's a simple approach for keeper leagues (which seem to be the norm now):

If you're buying to improve for this year, you'll have to sacrifice keeper-level talent. If you have more players at that level than you are allowed to keep it will make it easier. Identify your keepers and then deal one of your other top players. Use that guy to bring in two or three B players. In one of my leagues I just traded Miguel Cabrera and James Shields in order to get Garrett Atkins, Jhonny Peralta and Aaron Cook. In my league Cabrera and Shields have far more keeper value than the guys I got back, but I really needed a SS and the other two players will do a nice job filling the other holes created by the deal. Plus I already had three hitters and two pitchers I was going to keep ahead of Cabrera/Shields.

The team I made the deal with is an example of a good seller. Identify a team in the hunt and offer them several quality players for one or two keepers. The quality/bulk you offer should help put the contender over the top, while the keepers you receive should help you build for next season.

Yes, the "what to do" might seem obvious. But there are many teams not willing to be active in the trading market. Teams "out of it" need to remember they are only out of it for this season. There's no reason they can't start working on being "in it" next year. Teams that are contenders need to realize that they can't just sit back and wait. They need to go out and make some moves that may sting in the future but will assure them a money finish this season.

The key is being honest with yourself and figuring out if you are truly a buyer or seller.

Dream Come True

I guarantee you that something occurred last night that will swing the tides of leagues with 1-game position eligibility.

Albert Pujols played second base.

Yup, if you missed it, the slugger manned second base for the last four innings of a game last night. The Cardinals lost their other middle infielders to switches and injuries, and were forced to move Pujols to the spot.



My league uses 1-game position eligibility just to keep things interesting. And, sometimes, you get fluky things like this happening.

On my team, for instance, Brandon Inge is catcher eligible, after filling in behind the plate for I-Rod.

But, that's nothing compared to the Pujols incident.

Something similar happened in our league a few years back, when Jermaine Dye, in the midst of his monster 2005 season, manned shortstop for a couple innings.

Needless to say, Dye's owner moved him right into the SS spot on the roster. If my memory serves me correctly, he also walked away with the league title that season.

A lot of lucky Pujols owners are probably doing the same thing today. And I would be doing the same if I had the chance!

Who's Out There? (AL Version)

Well, it's not too soon to be looking to make some roster moves ... trying to pick up guys who may still be avilable in your leagues ...

Who are some of my picks?

Well, if you're in a deep keeper league (like mine), none of these guys are options. But, plenty of leagues may still have these guys dangling out there on the FA wires.

Cliff Lee: Wow, nice start to the season huh? Lee looks like he's back and focused. In fact, he's pitching as well now, as I ever think I've seen. Lee is the #1 most added player in CBS Sportsline leagues right now, with good reason. Will there be stumbles along the way? Sure! But, I'd put money down on a solid season.

Gavin Floyd: This guy is still owned in less than half of the CBS leagues right now. I'm not saying he'll be fantastic, but remember, he was a top prospect for a long time. There have been times he's looked simply dominant this season. Would be a solid addition for a lot of teams.

Greg Smith & Dana Eveland: These two A's hurlers have been flying under the radar. But, both look to be solid pickups for a team that's suprisingly feisty.

Mike Napoli: Looking for some cheap pop behind the plate, Napoli seems headed for a good year. His average isn't the best, but he's also not playing every single day, either, so he may not drag you down too badly in the category.

Carlos Quentin: Another longtime prospect looks to have locked up an everyday job with the White Sox. The average is a little low right now, but the pop appears to be there.

Ervin Santana: I was surprised to see this guy owner in 89% of the CBS leagues right now. He's pitching as well as he did when he posted 19 wins a couple years ago. The home/road woes seem to be fading a bit as well. Jump on board!

Oh ... and if you want a guy with some vulture potential ... look no further than my man Randor Bierd! He's a Rule 5'er who's jumped to the big leagues with 10 shutout innings in low leverage situations!

Plus, you get to own a guy named Randor!

Dropping Like Flies!

How big of a toll are injuries playing in your league?

I mean, seriously, this has been a freaky year already. When consistent types like Jeter and Mike Lowell are starting to go down, you know something is in the air.

On my team, it's only Cliff Floyd that's injured. And, really, who didn't see that one coming. God, I have to stop drafting the brittle brigade, because I know they exist to disappoint me.

In fact, I'm quite sure it's only a matter of time before Mike Sweeney comes down with SARS or Mad Cow Disease or the Hantavirus.

Are any of their replacements worth grabbing?

Wel, in my league ... most of these guys are already taken.

Justin Ruggiero is the type of guy that could steal a job in the big leagues while Floyd it out.

Will Greg Smith get more than 1 start now that Rich Harden is out? Maybe. And for all you praying for a Lenny DiNardo start ... well, you just might get your wish.

And what about Jed Lowrie? The guy seems like he can play, but there's no one in that lineup he's going to knock from their perch. Looks like Youkilis will slide over to 3B with Sean Casey getting more AB's.

Not sure who's next to go down ... but if you're placing wagers, put them on Mike Sweeney :)

One Week Down

Wow. There's a surprise for you.

After not feeling very confident about my draft, lo and behold, I finish the first week of the season in first place.

Yes, the newly christened Hersh-Hysers lead the field by 32 points.

How did I do it thus far?

Well, my worries about power disappeared as I led the league in Homers and RBI in Week 1. It doesn't hurt that Matsui, Cliff Floyd and Mike Napoli all banged out 2 dingers, with Ben Broussard (my 80 cent keeper!) knocking out 3!

Matsui shares hitting MVP with keeper David Murphy, who got off to a red-hot start in Texas. He even got me my first stolen base Sunday ... it looks like steals might be a concern category for me.

On the mound ... it was a solid week. 2 wins from Wang, and great outings from Santana, Carmona and Eveland got me in the right direction. And Joakim Soria was lights out for a hot Royals club.

Heck ... Randor is even throwing well, albeit for my reserve roster!

Can I keep this up? Well, I have to think guys like Konerko and Michael Young will get a little better, as some of the others get a little worse ... but I'll take a good start any day of the week!

I (Heart) Randor!

OK ... so how do I feel about my draft?

Well, my initial fears of not having enough offense may not be as bad as I first thought.

I'm hoping Michael Young and Paul Konerko can keep up what they've done in the past, that Josh Hamilton stays clean and productive, and that Hideki Matsui can do his usual.

The key to my team will be in the utility spots. I opted for 2 veteran, brittle players, who can hit if healthy. I'm a sucker for Mike Sweeney every year, but at 50 cents he was worth the gamble. If Cliff Floyd DH's more than he plays outfield, I feel good.

Did I get any bargains? Well, I love Coco Crisp at 50 cents. He's already playing with JD Drew hurt, and if he gets traded all the better.

I also don't mind Adam Loewen for 60 cents. Sure, he's on a crappy team, but I think as a long-term keeper that's not bad. REAL happy with Joel Zumaya at 40 cents. If he can come back healthy, I may have gotten a cheap closer for next year.

Of course, just because I'm a sick, sick man ... the pick that made me happiest was the last one. How can you not love having a guy named Randor Bierd on your team! Randor. I just like saying it.

As for early results ... well, I was in 11th place after day one, moved to 4th after Day 2, and now sit in second. Gotta love the early part of the season.

Roster Complete!

Well, a couple days after our draft began ... and it's finally over for me. I finished it today, with my lone Bonus Baby selection via e-mail.

Here's how my roster looked at the end of the draft (remember active roster has $30 salary cap) ... a * means I drafted them, the others were protected.

C Ramon Hernandez (1.9)
C Mike Napoli (.5)

1B Ben Broussard (.8)
2B Asdrubal Cabrera (.5)
SS Michael Young* (3.1)
3B Melvin Mora (.8)
MI Donnie Murphy* (.2)
CI Paul Kornerko* (3.4)

OF Jason Michaels (.3)
OF David Murphy (.5)
OF Josh Hamilton* (3.5)
OF Hideki Matsui* (3.4)

UT Mike Sweeney* (.5)
UT Coco Crisp* (.5)
UT Cliff Floyd* (.5)

P Paul Byrd (.5)
P Fausto Carmona (1.5)
P Jonathon Papelbon(1.3)
P Ervin Santana (1.5)
P Joakim Soria (.5)
P Chieng-Ming Wang (1.5)
P Dana Eveland* (.5)
P Joel Zumaya* (.4)
P Adam Loewen* (.5)

Reserves:

3B Brandon Inge
P Masa Kobayashi
P Hayden Penn
OF Nathan Haynes
1B Chris Shelton
SS Mike Moustakas
P Lance Broadway
P Fernando Cabrera
P Jorge Julio
2B Yung Chi Chen
P Randor Bierd

Bonus Babies:

2B Dustin Pedroia
OF Adam Lind
P Radhames Liz
3B Wes Hodges*

More on how I feel about the team in the next post ...

Draft Day (Hour 7 & 8)

10:07pm Every team is looking to fill a few spots as we begin Hour 7. I'm down to a Middle Infielder and a couple Pitchers. This is where folks save up to try to grab a young up-and-comer at bargain basement prices.

10:10pm And, as I type, I fill one more position, Middle Infield, with Donnie Murphy for 20 cents.

10:15pm Then make a move, possibly for next year, by locking the injured Joel Zumaya in for 40 cents.

10:23pm And, my team is complete with Adam Loewen for 60 cents. Didn't accomplish my offensive goal, but hopefully can deal some pitching to improve. Now I get to sit and watch the rest of the draft play out, and hope some of my sleepers slip into the reserve round. With this group, I doubt it.

10:25pm Kenny Lofton is off the board. Another example of the "last seen" rule. Good pickup for a dime, assuming he lands somewhere and doesn't sit out the season.

10:40pm If this tells you where we are, the last five players taken were Morgan Ensberg, Kendry Morales, Manny Delcarmen, Rafael Perez, and Sean Casey. Not terrible players, in fact, a couple guys that could help if things break the right way.

11:00pm Still plowing through late round guys. Top prospects Matt Wieters and Travis Snider have been dimed.

11:17pm We're off to the reserves, which will happen too fast. I'll have a post-mortem on the night soon!

Draft Day (Hour 6)

9:00pm Hour 6 begins. Jarrod Washburn is the top-of-the-hour selection. He goes for a dollar. Vic Gideon says he hopes Washburn's 15 losses look good for another team.

9:06pm I make my first selection of the hour by bringing Coco Crisp on board for 50 cents. I'm banking on a trade, or the eventual JD Drew injury.

9:12pm The centerpiece of the Johan Santana trade, Carlos Gomez, is drawing heavy interest. He's our first player in the $1.90 range in a while. Folks are banking on steals.

9:15pm Believe it or not, Frank Thomas has lasted this long. He goes for the same amount as Carlos Gomez.

9:23pm Scrappy players David Eckstein and Nick Punto are gone. They don't bring you much, but they also only went for a combined 50 cents.

9:37pm And, I've completed a lackluster offensive effort, by adding Cliff Floyd for 80 cents. Looks like another good pitching, poor hitting season for me!

9:47pm Sammy Sosa goes for the minimum. He's not on a roster right now, so we have what's called the "last sighted rule." Since Sosa was last seen in the American League, he's eligible for our draft.

Draft Day (Hour 5)

8:04pm Hour 5 starts off with Luke Scott's number called. Former Tribe farmhand goes for $1.50. Could be a nice pick at that price.

8:13pm We're onto middle tier middle infielders, with Julio Lugo, Marco Scutaro and Alexei Ramirez up in quick succession. How high will Ramirez go? It's $1.00 for the promise of getting a young Alfonso Soriano.

8:17pm You know you're in a deep keeper league when the bidding really slows down over Wilson Betemit.

8:20pm The catching scrum resumes, as the bidding has erupted around Miguel Olivo. Well, not erupted, but one owner still needs both catcher positions filled. And he'll get one for 40 cents.

8:22pm An interesting name surfaces ... Bartolo Colon. Couple years ago this guy was a four-dollar pitcher. Now, we're crawling along in dime increments for him. He supposedly looked good last night, could be a bargain. He goes for 80 cents.

8:26pm This is when the draft gets strange. A mix of useful players, and young players not yet established. Carlos Quintin goes for a dollar.

8:30pm Channel 3 Sports Anchor Joe Brown continues to make cameo appearances, consulting with Reporter Vic Gideon on his team. Joe just expressed some disappointment that Vic has only picked one player in the last hour. Anchor Lydia Esparra also trying to figure out exactly what we're doing.

8:40pm Team financials entering the picture. One team is down to needing a single player, and has a buck-60 to spend on that player. Another team needs four players, but can't spend more than 20 cents on any of them.

8:50pm And the first dime player is sold! Mike Timlin's name is tossed out, and earns no bids. Always a good time when that happens.

8:52pm And our first roster is filled! Brandon McCarthy goes to the Unicorns, and he is done with the active roster. He leaves a dollar on the table, but only because he had a lot of good, young, cheap keepers.

Draft Day (Hour 4)

7:02pm Our journey toward the first minimum salary player gets closer to the end. Octavio Dotel goes for 20 cents.

7:15pm We've taken a break to stretch ... back at it with Macier Izturis on the board!

7:34pm Vernon Wells finally tossed out there. One of the last good players out. We're getting to the nitty gritty. I'm in on the bidding, but bowing out soon. He's at the $3 mark right now.

7:41pm We've just had a Tike Redman reference. We're at that stage of the game.

7:43pm To Jeff: I am blogging! Doesn't mean I can't bid on Dana Eveland!

7:45pm I've tossed out JD Drew to see what happens. I had to live through him last year, not looking forward to it again. He's approaching $2-land quickly today.

7:50pm The run of the injury-riddled players continues with Scott Rolen on the board. It's a slow burn to the $1.20 mark, and it ends there.

7:54pm Hideki Matsui makes a late appearance. I go up to $3.40 on him in hope he can help my teetering offense. I'm down to needing 5 players with $2.50 left in salary. Bargain hunting time!

7:59pm And the injured players keep coming, with Milton Bradley out there. Boy, he's an attractive player if he could stay on the field. Just like the other guys above.

Draft Day (Hour 3)

6:00pm We've just forced an owner into a $2.00 bid for George Sherrill. Told him the other owner, bidding online, didn't think he had it in him to go to two bucks. He did. The online owner bowed out.

6:01pm And, I've brought another longtime guy home to roost. Mike Sweeney is a Hersh-Hyser. I always get suckered into buying him, and here we are together again. Don't get hurt Mike, please.

6:16pm The $2.00 mark seems to be the ceiling folks hesitate to crash through right now. We're hitting that point in the draft, with a lot of sure-fire winners leaving the board. Jeremy Bonderman was the latest to have people drop by the wayside around two bucks.

6:17pm Dontrelle Willis is tossed out for a dime. The lowest price available. Not a lot of confidence in him switiching leagues in the room. Bids don't go into $2 range easily.

6:25pm Plenty of arguing about Ryan Garko. It happens at the $2.50 mark. Hm. Wondering Garko versus Korerko at $3.40.

6:29pm Cheapest player has just gone. Gerald Laird for 30 cents. Most of the good catchers were protected, so some folks needed to fill spots.

6:30pm One owner has just thrown out 3 players already protected. Commissioner's reponse: "Are you looking at the rosters?" Fifth time's the charm!

6:34pm We're getting loopy. Bids for Josh Hamilton lead to comments about Rod Steiger and "The Illustrated Man." He's now up to $3.50. And he's mine for that price.

6:51pm Money is starting to get tight for teams, this is when the bidding really slows down as people start looking for bargains and figuring how much they have left. One owner keeps trying to dime a catcher, but can't succeed.

6:58pm The last few strong players start going. Raul Ibanez is up to $2.50 right now as we wrap up Hour 3. He won't top $3 but is a nice player for what's left.

Draft Day (Part 2)

5:00pm Second hour of the draft begins with Bobby Abreu going for $4.00. I think another good value bid. He ended the year with my team in 2007, with a salary of $4.70.

5:05pm The trash-talking begins, as a 3-time champion is told his era is over. He owned the league in the early days, but hasn't won in a while. He was last year's bridesmaid, however. When I announced this post to the league, the trash-talking rolled on! The former owner was told he owned the league in both the "dead-ball" and "pre-steroid" eras.

5:09pm I've just done what's being called "denigrate, denigrate, denigrate, BID!" The subject, Travis Hafner. I maintained he was done as an impact hitter, then bid him up. He goes for $3.70, well above my denigrated bid of $3.10.

5:13pm Running joke now is the commissioner claiming he forgot to cut Mike Mussina. I yelled "How'd he get on my roster!" There's also been an Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer reference.

5:16pm Just found out the defending champion's teenage daughter is drafting for him. She also helped pick his team last year, and he won. That makes me feel good.

5:18pm Another former Hersh-Hyser is back on the team, as I pick up Michael Young for $3.10. I'm not unhappy with it. I had him as a Bonus Baby way back in the day.

5:22pm We've had our first injury of the day. One owner now complaining of a broken nail. And it's not the teenage girl who's drafting with us! I just saw it, however, and it is ugly and painful looking :)

5:25pm Another seemingly good buy, as Manny Ramirez goes for $4.40. We'll see how good these look at the end of the year, but I like that deal.

5:31pm Slow bidding on Johnny Damon, so I toss in a bid of 1.90. I get outbid, but he feels like a deal at that number. Poker faces are coming out. Well, at least the ones that are here in person, and not taking part in the chat room.

5:34pm Talking about serviceable players, the following line comes out ... "Give me a team of serviceable players, and I'll give you a fifth place finish!"

5:35pm Injured closer BJ Ryan is on the board. Interesting strategy to try to sneak someone through cheap right now. I bid him up to 80 cents before bowing out as the price crosses the one dollar threshhold. He goes to the owner who punts saves. Joke emerges: "They'll bring him back as an outfielder."

5:43pm Last year's runner-up has uttered the phrase "I don't know how he won last year" ... referring to the champ. The bridesmaid's team has been called the "Anti-Seabiscuit."

5:50pm Another interesting player is on the board. The Three True Outcomes King ... Jack Cust. He should be fun to watch, that's for sure. He goes for $2.30

Draft Day! (Hour 1)

Well, it's draft day here in the Lou Proctor League ... we're set for an (at least) 6-hour affair, based out of a conference room at WKYC.

About half our league participates in person, with the other half in a chat room.

I'm as ready as I'll ever be, armed with the following:

My 2008 copy of Baseball Prospectus (one of two in the room right now.)

Printouts of all the available free agents.

Even a copy of cbssports.com magazine on the draft ...

Do I have an edge? Nope!

I kind of long for the days of reading the transactions sections of newspapers, and calling moves in on voicemail. The internet has really leveled the playing field as far as research is concerned. Now, it comes down to bidding, confidence, and luck!

So, stay tuned, as I give semi-live updates when we get rolling!

4:19pm We are underway! First player on the board is Richie Sexson! Not what I expected, but here we go. Remember, this is a $30 salary cap league. He goes for $1.30. The winning bidder just said "Are you kidding me, I paid that?"

4:21pm Magglio Ordonez on the board. That's more like it. He goes for $4.50. That's where he should be.

4:23pm Vladimir Guerrero out there. $5.1 -- Good buy I think. I couldn't pull the trigger to go higher though. Probably a mistake. A-Rod was protected at $5.9, will he still be our top paid player?

4:26pm The first pitcher is out there, and it's Erik Bedard. Bad spring and all. Not stopping the bidding in this room, he's quickly moved past $4.00. Bidding finishes at $4.10.

4:34pm I toss Joe Blanton on the table. Don't really need him, but just trying to get some bidding out there.

4:41pm The first Hersh-Hyser is Paul Konerko for $3.40. I could have protected him for $3.70. So, he's back for 30 cents cheaper, and gives me some power.

4:42pm K-Rod is on the board. The first, and best, closer that's out there. $3.60 is the final bid, and that's a good price I think.

4:46pm And, Miguel Cabrera is nominated! Let's see where this goes. He's the highest bid player of the day at $5.50. Short of A-Rod, but more than Vlad. Right about where I thought he would be.

4:50pm And the closer run starts. Mariano Rivera on the board. Not a lot of saves still out there following the proteced lists. Interestingly enough, it's slow bidding for a while. Then, he goes for a dime MORE than last year. Might be some position scarcity.

4:55pm Carl Crawford breaks the five dollar ceiling. Helps you in every category. Love this guy, had him as a Bonus Baby way back when, before he became the impact player he is today.