By Bob in Cleveland

League 4

As you likely (hopefully) know by now, I partner with our staff columnist, Gabriel Lundeen, to produce the podcast called ‘Inside the Trader’s Studio’ … a show about trades (of course). Download it on iTunes, and give it a try! But, I digress.

One of the things that has caught my eye, when reflecting on all of the trades that Gabriel and I have seen over the course of the year, is the art of the ‘string of deals’. I find it really impressive when an owner can string together a series of trades that lifts his, or her, team into contention for a title. Why?

Because I’ve never been able to do it, that’s why. I have no clue as to why. Maybe I’m just too conservative of a ‘trader’, but I’ve never been able to pull off a series of trades in relatively quick succession. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’ve won leagues, but it has been, mostly, by good ‘ole waiver-wire hunting … with a few small trades sprinkled around as supplements.

A few weeks ago, Gabriel and I featured defending League 9 champion, and fellow FantasyBaseballMafia.com columnist, Rob Monacelli’s trading “clinic” on Inside the Trader’s Studio. Today, we cross the “pond” to get a lesson from another of our fine writing staff, Tony in Hitchin. Enjoy.

“This is a 12-team, non-Mafia, 5×5 league with all owners returning from last year.

We have small rosters - one bench spot and only one DL slot. Max IP is 1,250.

The league leader has “only” 82 points; it’s a tight league, and several teams move daily in the standings. For most of the season, I’ve been in the lower half of the table.

As of last Monday, I had 38 hitting points (12 in SB - 11 in RBI) and 14 pitching points - 14! Ouch! I was trailing by 30 and in need of making a move sooner rather than later if I was going to do anything. I had only three SPs - Ryan Dempster, Cliff Lee and Jered Weaver.

My normal “style” when contemplating multiple trades is to establish contact with the other owners first, by email, outlining a trade and seeing whether it’s something of interest. I’m a firm believer in the idea that you have to put in the work and that rarely do unsolicited offers appeal so strongly that you have to accept them before doing anything else.

I’d undertaken the research in this league, and set aside the notes I’d made, deciding to send out the emails to the four specific teams with which I thought I could strike a deal. And then I got an offer from one of the teams I’d identified …

Trade 1

Received an offer from the first-place team. Edinson Volquez and Joey Votto for (my) Mark Teixeira and Michael Bourn.

I turned it down saying that I think Teixeira will have a big second half and am not convinced that Volquez will repeat his first half, adding that I’d happily work on something else since the idea of trading a bat for an arm appeals to me and I have speed to burn.

The owner replied saying that he liked some of my bats, without specifically mentioning anyone, and would make available one of fours SPs: Lincecum, Joba, Billingsley and Felix Hernandez. I replied, giving the guy my AIM address, and saying that I think we should talk. We did …

We chatted for a while, establishing that we were clearly both open to spending some time working on a deal, and some names got thrown out there. I said that I wasn’t keen on making a move for King Felix right now but liked the other three SPs. He asked whether Bobby Abreu was available, and I said yes … but was being concerned that I was now giving up two serious bats. I was keen to see what he was thinking of offering in return before getting his hopes up.

He offered some guys from his side - Jason Giambi, Carlos Pena - and I politely said that I wasn’t enamoured of either of them. And, then, I typed in, “How about something like this …” and hit him with my counter-offer: (my) Mark Teixeira and Bobby Abreu for (his) David Wright and Chad Billingsley. A few minutes later, that was exactly the deal that we struck.

Trade 2

I have two closers - BJ Ryan and Ryan Franklin - plus JJ Putz and Damaso Marte. I have three points in saves and am a mile behind the guy with four points. There is no way that I am moving up in saves, and I might drop one spot at most.

I’d spent time looking at the standings and at every roster, seeing to whom I could move a closer and who might have a spare and worthwhile bat. Nobody has a spare outfielder, but there were some teams who could use another closer, saves being another tight category. In the upper echelons of the league, several teams are separated by only a handful of saves.

The team in fifth place could use some speed and saves and is dead last in HRs without a realistic chance of moving up significantly in that category. Plus, they project to be quite over the IP limit. I sent an offer: (my) BJ Ryan and Matt Kemp for (his) Carlos Lee and Justin Masterson.

I knew Masterson might get sent down, but sometimes asking for a second player - who the other guy might drop anyway - is better than having the provider pose the question, “You have to drop a player to accept this deal …” when faced with the offer.

The guy replied a few hours later: “I’m going to come in last in HRs anyway so, yes, why the heck not.”

Trade 3

So, now I had “only” Ryan Franklin, and although Chad Billingsley is a big addition to my rotation, I still have only four SPs. Moving Franklin for a SP was my goal.

Having spent the time looking at rosters, I knew that there were two teams with excess SPs who might be able to use some saves and one, crucially, that had Matt Capps in a DL spot and Troy Percival in its one bench spot.

I sent the owner an email asking whether saves for a SP would appeal. An offer came back which was (his) Francisco Liriano for (my) Franklin. This interested me, but I was hoping for someone with a more immediate impact. I knew that Rich Harden, Scott Kazmir and Justin Duchscherer were out of reach, and I didn’t really want Johnny Cueto or Oliver Perez.

But one name intrigued me, so I sent back a counter-offer: Ryan Franklin for Manny Parra. He walks a whole heap of batters, at times, but I’m going with him in other leagues … so why not in this one? The offer was accepted.

So here’s a summary of the roster changes … after a busy 24 hours (!!).

In
David Wright
Carlos Lee
Chad Billingsley
Manny Parra
Justin Masterson

Out
Mark Teixiera
Bobby Abreu
Matt Kemp
BJ Ryan
Ryan Franklin

My replacement OF is Rick Ankiel, who I picked up from the waiver wire.

My logic:

Teixeira to Wright is an upgrade at CI, although I like both.

Carlos Lee (plus Rick Ankiel) over Abreu and Kemp is a downgrade in speed, and maybe BA, an upgrade in power, and a wash in the other two categories.

Wright replaces the speed lost by moving Kemp and Abreu, and I had some to give anyway.

Billingsley and Parra are a million times more useful than closers, and I hope Billingsley will offset some of the WHIP risk that Parra brings.

I can make gains in HRs, Wins, ERA and K’s, and I won’t fall far, if at all, in Saves or SBs.

I have JJ Putz and Damaso Marte and will need to see what I do with them, if anything. If Marte gets (keeps) the closer gig in Pittsburgh, I may try to move him, too, but with small rosters, I doubt I’ll be able to move Putz for anyone worthwhile at the moment. I may hang onto him and see what happens, and if he isn’t moved back into the closer’s role in Seattle, once he is back (as is the rumour), and doesn’t help with WHIP/ERA/Ks, then I’ll simply waive him.

This is what my team looks like now:

SP: Billingsley, Ryan Dempster, Cliff Lee, Jered Weaver, Parra, Masterson
RP: Octavio Dotel, Damaso Marte, JJ Putz
1B: Ryan Howard
2B: Robinson Cano
3B: David Wright
SS: Mike Aviles
CI: Aramis Ramirez
MI: Kelly Johnson
OF: Carlos Lee, Shane Victorino, Pat Burrell, Jay Bruce, Rick Ankiel
UT: Chris Davis
Bench: Michael Bourn
DL: Chris Carpenter

I’m not trying to dominate any categories, but I think that I can move up in several. If Masterson gets sent down, I’ll pitch-and-ditch with that roster spot.”

And, there you have it, fellow Mafia members. An impressive one-day display put up by one of our fantasy baseball “masters”. Will it teach a lesson to all of us? Well, if not all of us, maybe just me. We’ll see. Look out League 4!

Until next time, Bob in Cleveland.