Yesterday, I pulled the trigger on my biggest blockbuster thus far. I gave up Kevin Youkilis and Michael Bourn and got back B.J. Upton and James Shields. I wasn't overly excited about giving up Youkilis, who has carried my team in the BA category, but my skepticism for his ability to maintain his current pace, coupled with my hatred for him in real life made the decision somewhat easier.
My reasoning was that BJ Upton, coming off of shoulder surgery, is due to take off in the 2nd half. Upton has been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball so far, hitting a lethargic .221 with 3 HR's, and 15 RBI's. Still- there's hope. Over the last month, BJ has hit for a .277 average, 3 HR's, 12 RBI's, and swiped 10 bags. We'll see if his production continues its upward trend, or if BJ is just going to take the whole year off. At the very least, Upton will replace what I lost in the SB's category with trading Bourn, and score a lot of runs.
There were far less questions surrounding the other piece in the deal, James Shields. Shields has been one of the best pitchers in the AL this season, and I knew my staff pre-Shields wasn't good enough to be a championship caliber staff. As it stands now, I have 4 starters that I have a ton of faith in no matter who they're pitching against - Johan, Verlander, Shields, Joba.
Whether the deal impacts my squad positively or negatively will be determined by my bats. If my bats can sustain the loss of Youkilis, and my staff can perform to expectations, I think I'll have a chance to make a run at the title. A chance is all you can ask for in a competitive fantasy baseball league.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Yes pulled a great blockbuster with Smith. I did this deal to upgrade my 3B spot could not make any kind of run with Mark Teahen starting at 3B. Losing Shields was huge for me. I thought I would be getting back Bonderman which he is back, but gave up 6 runs in 4.0 innings in his first start on monday night. I think he will pan out, he has always been a decent starter. Also Kazmir will be back later this season, so I can lose a little a pitching for now. He hasn't been pitching well but after he comes off the DL I think he will be back to his rare form.
ReplyDeleteLosing Upton was tough for me, because I know he will turn it around in the second half, but I had to do it. Everyone was after him and I was going to deal him eventually, but Smith offered me the best deal. He had 17 stolens fot me and has great upside for the rest of the season. Bourn is under rated and will continue like he has started the '09 season. He will provide my team with stolen bases and runs, also a pretty decent AVG.
In the end, this is a good deal for both teams. Smith upgraded his staff and OF in a way, and I upgraded a infield spot which was greatly needed. I can't wait to see how these two bats will pan out the rest of the season. I think I aquired some of the tools that will allow me to make a run for a top 6 finish.