PSBL Notes

This page is for use in keeping notes about my PSBL simulation baseball league team. Rather than setting up another wiki, I figured this was a better way to do it.

Roster

The following players are the ones that matter, Im skipping the scrubs. Each player in this heading is either slated to be protected, on the bubble or worthy of inclusion in some trade or another. Eventually I might make individual player pages for increased discussion ability.
St Louis Cardinals
1B Albert Pujols
2B Tadahito Iguchi
3B Corey Koskie
SS Orlando Cabrera
C Mike Lieberthal
LF Luis Gonzalez
RF JD Drew
CF Coco Crisp
DH Travis Hafner
CN David Bell
UTL Mike Morse
OF Milton Bradley
OF Todd Linden
P Scott Kazmir
P Greg Maddux
P Brad Penny
P Josh Beckett
P Joe Nathan

Protected List

All of the above players are firmly on the protected list except David Bell, Todd Linden and Mike Morse. Bell is on the bubble, Linden and Morse are possible deal material, specifically to teams such as Cleveland or Detroit that historically protect a lot of players.

Positions and Needs

The primary need is pitching. Kazmir is the only starter that could be considered dominant, and Maddux is the only other that is even above average this year. Beckett and Penny both have good future value, and Penny is relatively usable this year as well. Nathan is probably the best closer in baseball this year, and is in his prime.

Besides pitching third base and center field are mild needs. Crisp is good defensively but had an injury plagued year and has an anemic .702 OPS (worse vs R). His speed is nice and he is young enough to still have excellent value. At third base Bell is great defensively and has a respectible .337 OB, but has no slugging to speak of, he also brings a lot of plate apps to the table. Koskie is a thumper vs R, and solid defensively, for about half a season. He can be conserved by batting him low in the lineup and subbing Bell in when possible.

The tertiary need is young talent. The team has an acceptable amount of young players, but it is quite possible many could be dealt to increase this years title potential. If that doesnt happen, this team is a playoff also-ran.

Trades

I have already made some offers to other teams that would need to be honored if accepted. Barring that, everything here is to be discussed.

Proposed Deals

The following deals have already been proposed to owners. Some have been shelved until the ratings arrive. Others are just awaiting response.

Bobby Abreu

I have offered the Tigers Coco Crisp and the first round selection for Bobby Abreu. He said he was intersted depending on the defensive ratings. I suspect Abreu should be FR or less in CF, and Crisp should be VG or EX. That bodes well for this deal. If completed, it would give us a dominant #3 hitter with unlimited plate apps who is in the prime of his career.

Aubrey Huff

I have offered David Bell and Todd Linden and/or Mike Morse for Aubrey Huff. Dave normally protects a bunch of guys, so these people are better than the Joe McEwings he is sometimes stuck with, and since he values defense Bell really helps him there. Bell is also virtually the same vs both sides, while Huff is very skewed vs R. The positive side of this is Huff, though skewed in the same way as Koskie, would give more plate apps and a similar bat. It would free up Koskie to be traded for someone who hits left, or to be used a defensive replacement and pinch hitter. He gave the same response to this deal as the previous one.

Manny Ramirez

I have offered Josh Beckett and choice of Milton Bradley or Luis Gonzalez for Manny Ramirez and John Smoltz. This deal is a potential blockbuster. Manny would be huge between Pujols and Hafner, and it would push the offense to the next level. Smoltz is better now, though nearing the end. The team gets much older but has greatly increased star power and a fearsome offense. He responded that he is considering it. He likes Beckett a lot and has made offers for him in the past.

Torii Hunter

Technically this belongs in the potential deals because it hasnt been offered, but it is related to this one here. If he decides against the Manny deal I would like to offer the same deal with Gonzalez on our side and Hunter instead of Manny. Its not the same kind of blockbuster, but Hunter is a great defensive player who is improving offensively and is younger. Its potentially even better for the team.

Potential Deals

The following deals have crossed my mind but either have hit a dead end or have not yet been explored.

Justin Verlander

Our best pitcher is Kazmir, who in many ways is similar to Verlander (age etc). Verlander has more starts, and will be an EX hold. He is also very stacked vs one side, which limits his playoff value. Kazmir is reasonable vs both sides, but even though he is left handed he will probably be FR or PR hold. He has a much better strikeout pitch, even though Verlander throws harder. The Mets park really favors lefties too, so this is in our favor. I prefer my best pitcher to be a right hander (and I question Kazmir's size), which is why I would offer one of the extra outfielders (Bradley or Gonzalez) and Kazmir for Verlander. If this doesnt work, Dave Bush could be another option.

Chipper Jones

I have had repeated conversations with Rob about Chipper Jones. Id like to get a real 3B.

Jake Westbrook

Rob and I have talked about a possible Maddux and Bradley for Westbrook and something deal. Depending on the something, it could be ok. Its a slight downgrade today, but a big upgrade in the future, unless Bradley really breaks out.