With pre-Theater of Pain Motley Crue, this week's Fantasy Chat Stew if here for your consumption.
Donald Williamsville,Mo: Do you agree that Garret Anderson is a better pickup for the Braves then Ken Griffey?Rob Neyer: Oh, sure. Anderson's just as good with the bat and you can actually play him regularly in the field.
John ( New York ): What are your thoughts on Nelson Cruz? I have him in a auction league and can keep him for $3? Your thoughts and what kind of numbers you think he will put up?Brendan Roberts: He's one of my "hot-button" guys. As in, I think he's a bust. Strikes out way too much, has a decent sample size of failed at-bats. He just came out of the woodwork last season, doing much of his hitting in a favorable park in Triple-A. So I'm not buyin' him at even a reasonable amount because I think all he'll do is hit the occasional homer with a low average (like Sosa in his recent Texas season). That said, $3 is definitely cheap enough to be in the "What the heck?" range. You'd rather have an upside guy than a boring guy there, so why not?
Ed (Cleveland): Jim, thanks for taking the questions. Please tell me who is going to fill out the back of the Indian's rotation. I know Huff is a favorite prospect, and Reyes looked great if he can stay healthy, but what about the other three? Are Laffey, Sowers and Lewis all just 4A pitchers or do they have a chance?Jim Callis: All those guys are factors, but I believe in Huff the most.
Charles (Seattle, WA): Eric, you know whats frustrating about these chats? 90% of the time is wasted on top tier talent discussion, when it's the mid-season pickups, the Nolasco's and Cliff Lee's, and Stephen Drew's of the world that win championships at the end of the season. Who are the late round, $1 buck/$2 buck sleepers this year that might sneak up on people?Eric Karabell : OK, fair enough. But I can only answer the questions I am asked, and that I see. As for late picks, I have many. Sometimes I'm in a draft and I think, can we just skip five rounds because I have so many players I can get cheap, and it's embarrassing to take them this early. Anyway, among pitchers, how about Kuroda (still going cheap), Anibal Sanchez, Volstad, Wellemyer, Arroyo, Carpenter, Hochevar, Hughes, Gallagher and Litsch? Among bats, I like Baker and Ramon Hernandez at catcher, Sandoval and Konerko at first, F.Lopez, Frandsen and Callapso at second, LaRoche at third, Brandon Wood at short...I should stop now.
Civil Ian, Toronto: Hi Tristan. In a classic NL roto-format auction with 13 teams and up to 15 keepers (this is a twenty yr-old league, so you can imagine) does it make sense to create positional shortages by buying 2 starters at C, 2B & SS?Tristan H. Cockcroft : Not if you're reaching to do it and not if it means you'll be spending precious resources to stick these guys on your bench instead of into starting lineup spots. I don't advise prevention strategies in leagues that deep. There are people out there -- myself included -- who don't negotiate easily with the guy "holding them over a barrel."
brock (via mobile) [via mobile]: how will a rod's value drop due to the steroid scandal?AJ Mass: I am not dropping it at all unless he gets hurt or some crazy new revelation comes out (like that he is still using) -- the attention will only lessen over time, especially if the other 103 names come out.
jgalt73 (Portland, OR): Joe, Which of this year's division favorites have the highest risk of falling off the cliff a la the '08 Tigers?Joe Sheehan: The Angels. They're an injury to Abreu, Vlad or Napoli from having a really bad offense.