Here are some recent questions our experts have received, along with their responses. If you have a question for one of our experts, you can submit it here.
What is up with Brad Penny? Is his decline for real? I have a chance to pick him up in my league.
I'd roll the dice on Penny Kevin. David Regan will have more on Penny in his Mound Musings column this week, but the condensed version is this - since the velocity is there, he still pitches half his games in Dodger Stadium, and he has a decent track record, he's worth rolling the dice on. Sure, it's tough to get too excited about a guy who is 0-6 in his last seven starts, but Penny has been better in his last two outings. He's worth a gamble in most leagues.
Great site, helps me win consistently. I've got alot of ground to make up in the 2nd half. Who would you rather have, Vernon Wells or Gary Sheffield? Thanks, John
John, Thanks for the props. Vernon Wells looks to be coming back soon, and while he's injury prone, he's still in his prime. Sheffield is injury prone and old. He might be done. I'd say Wells, and I don't think it's close. Good luck MPStopa
Hello, Was wondering about any info on the Ethier situation in LA? He's sat 3 of the last 4 games and Pierre seems to be starting every day, but I haven't seen anything on here about it. Any info is appreciated. Thanks.
Wish we could give you a definitive answer on this one. Matt Kemp has clearly played his way into full-time duty, and with Pierre having 10 hits and two walks in his last five games, it makes little sense to bench him as well. Let's face it, Andruw Jones took all of two weeks before becoming the most hated Dodger, and why not? He showed up overweight, smiles after he strikes out, is hitting .158 with one homer in 101 at-bats, has lost some on defense and oh, is making $18 million a year. Benching Ethier and his .388 OBP makes no sense from a baseball standpoint, but this one is all about economics and the Dodgers trying to get Jones out of his "funk" and get a return on their investment. Right now they are winning despite Jones, but if he keep stinking up Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers will have decision to make. That all said, Ethier is going to continue losing at-bats in the short-term, but over the course of the year, he'll play more often than not.
got offered t. hoffman, carlos gomez, and jose lopez for robinson cano. dont really need lopez as I want to play upton at 2nd. What do you think should I wait for cano to wake up and look to get more or take this.14team mixed league standard 5x5
This question illustrates two important points, so I'm going to post it on our site. First, when a hitter like Cano has proven himself over multiple seasons but is off to a slow start in April, don't panic. He will improve. It's a long season. Second, three for one trades are almost always better for the owner getting the "one." If you did this deal, the guy you are trading with would get the best player in the deal in exchange for a marginal closer, marginal 2B, and a decent speed guy who offers little else. Plus he would have his choice of the best two players on free agency (without having to cut anyone). You, on the other hand, would have to cut two players, would be getting rid of a really good player, and would be watering down your roster. I'm not saying that a three for one will never be good if you get the three, but I say "no" in this instance. Good luck MPStopa
Hello, Do you have or will you have an article on a round by round draft suggestion for a 5x5 roto league? For example, in round 1 you should target at base stealing SS. Please let me know. Thanks, Tom
Tom, I don't think we will have one like that because we don't think you should draft that way. I personally would take the best player available for the first five or six rounds with a heavy bias toward hitting, since it's safer and more reliable. Whether it's a superstar OF like Matt Holliday or a stud third baseball like Miguel Cabrera doesn't matter as much as whether it's the best player left on the board at that point. Chris
My standard roto 5x5 roto yahoo league allows for 1 DL spot. Who would you draft that will start the season on the DL but you feel will make a substantial contribution this season? Thanks for your time, Brendan
Brendan, I'd guess that B.J. Ryan is the most likely to both start the year on the DL and yet still be productive this season. You should really check out Jim Russo's offseason injury article, here: http://www.rotowire.com/baseball/features/2008_injuries.htm Regards, Jeff Erickson
Towards the end of the past few mlb seasons...Gus P. writes a piece about strength of schedule for the remainder of the season. I know pitchers/players change teams and there are variable factors...however, is it possible that a piece is done about strength of schedule. I think it is more important to get off to a good start in fantasy baseball then try to mount a late season comeback... I know I just sent the same question...however I updated my email address... Thanks Ghostman
That's a pretty good idea, and thanks for coming up with it in mid-January, as that gives me time to think about how to do this. Let me noodle about how to create such an article for, say, late March using the April/May schedules. Thanks, Gus Papadopoulos