Hows My Pitching Staff?

Question

SP Jered Weaver
SP Erik Bedard
RP Francisco Rodriguez
RP Joe Borowski
P Ervin Santana
P Greg Maddux
P Javier Vazquez
BN Brad Penny
BN Octavio Dotel

Any improvement or trade should I make?
C Posada
1B Pujols
2B Weeks
3B Zimmerman
SS Jeter
OF Dye
OF Baldelli
OF Ibanez
Util Morneau
BN OF Cameron
BN 1B,2B Kendricks
BN 2B Iguchi

Answer 1

Start with hitting, that's where you need the least help. You need more power, dump Iguchi - you already have 2 players eligible at that position. Pick up Chris Duncan, OF/1B - he hit 22 HR's last year playing part time. As a full time player he could hit 40, but you can only play him against RHP so watch his starts.
Pitching.... Your RP's are OK. Your best pitcher is Weaver, he will start the season on the DL. Bedard is decent and will open for Balt, but he is also going to play the Yankees and Red Sox quite a few times so he might get hit around a little. Santana has some extreme upside, if he can control his curve ball he is almost unhittable and could be a surprise 15 game winner this year. Maddux, is old.. the good news is that he is playing in a park that works to his advantage. He also plays a few games in Dodger Stadium where he has been very successful, so he may pitch over half his season in favorable parks. Vazquez can kill you in one day, he will light up teams for 9K's one day and give 7 runs in 2 innings the next - he always makes me nervous because his blow ups usually take about 2 weeks of pitching to cover up in a Roto league. Brad Penny is solid, fantasy owners have been down on him this year but I think this may be his best year.
Here are some options that will help your pitching. Dump Vazquez or Maddux, your choice. Check your waiver wire for John Maine, he is forgotten in most fantasy leagues and is a good option for about 16 wins and a good k/9 ratio. Another option is to take a setup man like Broxton, Rafael Soriano, Joel Zumaya or Mike Gonzalez. They can provide about 4 innings a week of low ERA and WHIP with a high k/9 ratio, so it's basically like having a starter every week and a half throwing a shutout with 10k's but not getting a win. This technique is under used in Roto and can eat up some quality innings that will lower your over all ERA, WHIP and produce a higher number of K's per 9 innings pitched.

One more thing, on 3-31 or 4-1 Weaver will hit the DL and you will be able to put him in the DL position and pick another pitcher. He may only miss a couple of weeks so look for a short term option like a setup pitcher or a #3 starter pitcher like Maine.

Answer 2

Weaver's on the DL, Bedard is up and down, Francisco is fine, Borowski is 60 yrs old, Ervin is unproven, Maddux get very few K's, Vazquez has an awful ERA, Penny had a terrible second half and he's unproven too, Dotel is Dotel.
I'd give you a C- onn your staff @ best.
Sorry.

Answer 3

Your pitching staff is AWFUL - your fantasy team reminds me of the Yankees but a little worse. They have a hell of a lineup but absolutely no pitching and the problem you have is 1.) how the hell is Brad Penny a bench player? 2.) Dotel is your big closer?

Answer 4

It's ok. I personally would try to make a trade for a big time starter (Johan Santana, Carlos Zambrano, Roy Halladay, Dice K), but if you have a strong lineup, then you should be fine.

Answer 5

You're offense looks quite good, but your starting pitching is a big question mark. You might consider trying to get some young unproven "sleeper" pitchers on your roster and hope they come through.

Answer 6

I would try and package Mourneau and get a top flight starter. You don't have that go-to-guy. Trade Mourneau and a P for a #1 and someone to fill in at Util.

Answer 7

not that good. you need better SP and RP. your only good closer in krod and thats it. you wont win the saves cats. your SP are full of late round picks who are 3rd or 4th starters on their respective teams.

Answer 8

EnormousJ69 is dead on. Your staff is shaky outside of K-Rod.

Answer 9

youve got some good pitching.

Answer 10

use iguchi. weeks is young, and has lack of injury, but iguchi is not there yet.